Bessie Smith

We've been discussing the "Empress of the Blues," Bessie Smith and how she is a great example of the "Classic Blues" genre of music. Here are the lyrics to one of her most famous songs, "St. Louis Blues," you might remember watching it in class last week!

retrieved from redhotjazz.com

http://www.songlyrics.com/bessie-smith/st-louis-blues-lyrics/


One of the important parts of analyzing music, is understanding the form that composers/artists use. We discussed in class that Classic Blues often used the aab form. Can you find an example of this in the lyrics? How does that form feel to you? Why do you think Classic Blues musicians used it? Bring your answer to class tomorrow!

Families,
On page 115 of the Ontario Arts Curriculum we find specific expectation C2.2 which requires students to "identify the elements of music... and describe how they are used." Form, or the way bits of music are organized within a song, is a distinguishing characteristic for many genres of music, especially Classic Blues!