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One of the all time greats of jazz is William “Count” Basie. He was an American jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Widely regarded as one of the most important jazz bandleaders of his time, Basie led his popular Count Basie Orchestra for almost 50 years.

Count Basie was born William Basie on the 21st of August 1904 in Red Bank, New Jersey. He was formally taught piano in his younger days. A dreamer, he always fantasized about a life on the road always traveling inspired by the carnivals that came to town every now and then. He was no newbie to showbiz. He used to hang around the Palace Theater at his hometown Red Bank and do small chores from where he used to get the money to attend the shows that were held at the venue.

He soon enough learned how to handle the lights for the vaudeville shows held at Palace Theater. On one occasion, when the pianist didn’t arrive in time, he filled in. He was soon able to play and improvise and play background music for silent movies.

Basie also had great taken for another instrument - the drums - but was forced to forego the drums for the piano after seeing Sonny Greer play. The two played together in their younger days. He realized that he was no competition to him.

Basie soon got involved in the local music scene playing gigs with pickup groups. One of the many groups that he played for was Harry Richardson’s “Kings of Syncopation.” At age 20, he moved to Harlem which was the place for a jazz musician to be at that time and was staying just a small distance from the Alhambra Theatre. He was fortunate to meet many of the musicians who were making a name for themselves - Willie “The Lion” Smith, James P Johnson and his drumming nemesis Sony Greer.

He got himself gigs touring and playing with many acts like Katie Krippen and Her Kiddies (who were one of the groups in the Hippity Hop Show), vaudeville organizer Benjamin Franklin Keith’s shows, Columbia Burlesque and the Theater Bookers Owners Association’s vaudeville shows. He also was accompanist to blues crooners Katie Krippen and Gonzelle White. He travelled extensively trough out America for these tours and met many top jazz musicians of the time including Louis Armstrong while on tour.

Basie became the in house pianist at Leroy’s - a joint that was famed for the cutting competitions held there. While serving as pianist at Leroy’s, he met Fats Waller, who at the time used to play the organ for silent movies, who taught him how to play the organ. It came useful for Basie when he got a gig playing the organ at Eblon Theater later. Willie Smith helped him out when gigs started to get rare arranging for him to play at house rent parties. He also introduced him to the elite musicians of the time in addition to teaching a few tricks at the keys.

1928 saw his collaboration with another big band - Walter Page and His Blue Devils - whom he saw play. He was invited to join the band as they traveled mainly through out Oklahoma and Texas playing gigs. His stint with Walter Page and His Blue Devils gave him the name “Count” by which the whole world knows him. A stint with Bennie Moten’s band moved him to a classier and respected playing style as compared to the blues tendencies of the music that he played with The Blue Devils. Basie took the extra responsibility of being one of the two arrangers of the band. He played four hand piano and at times play dual pianos with band leader Moten.

After Moten was voted out of the band, the band was called Count Basie and his Cherry Blossoms. The band didn’t last for long until a while after the death of Moten. Basie started a new outfit with many of his colleagues from his last band in addition to Lester Young who played tenor saxophone. His stint with this group brought forth his signature tune - “One O’Clock Jump.” The song was initially written in D Flat but ended up being played in the key of F.

His band, the name of which was changed to Count Basie and His Barons of Rhythm got a elongated gig at Grand Terrace Ballroom, Chicago. The name change was because the rhythm section was the strongest section of the band. He also was the first to use two tenor saxophone players while most bands used only one.

The two tenor saxophonists soon started having a difference of opinion of each other’s playing. To sort things out, Basie placed them on either side of the alto players which led to literal duels between the two - something that caught on when other bands started using the split tenor arrangement.

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From his earliest memory, Isaac Watts, author of Joy to the World and numerous other hymns, recalled being competitive. Albeit a bit on the cocky side, Watts’ confidence in his own talent gave the world some of its best-loved and timeless hymns.

Watts’ own mother recognized his outstanding gift when he was just a young child. To encourage him and her other eight children, Mrs. Watts devised a family writing contest. The child who composed the best poem would receive a prize of one farthing. Young Isaac, in his characteristic wit and drive to succeed, wrote the following:

I write not for a farthing, but to try
How I your farthing authors can outvie!

With that, young Isaac won that farthing prize. He also laid the groundwork for his mark on music history.

Isaac’s father, who seemed less inclined to nurture his son’s talent, nevertheless may have sparked Watts’ first big break. While still a youth, Isaac commented to his father that the hymns they were accustomed to singing in church lacked substance. The elder Watts, a staunchly religious deacon, took offense at his son’s criticism. Almost as if he himself had composed those church songs, he retorted, “If you don’t like the hymns we sing, write better ones!”

Instead of feeling defeated, Isaac took up his father’s challenge. He showed his father a hymn that he had written. Apparently Mr. Watts had no inkling that his son was so gifted. He eagerly presented his son’s composition at church the next Sunday. It was so well-received he was asked to write another for the following week. Isaac Watts wrote a new hymn every week for the next four years.

Watts’ composing of his renowned hymn Joy to the World came about as a personal epiphany of sorts. Young Isaac, who had so devotedly prepared hymns for liturgical services, went on to enter the Christian ordained ministry himself. After serving just less than two decades, however, Watts found it necessary to leave the priesthood due to health problems.

His declining health and a brief promise of love that was quickly dashed away by rejection may have caused Watts to reflect on his own humanity. This led him to undertake a project that had been stirring in his heart for several years. He had developed a deep fondness for the Psalms of David during his childhood. With time on his hands as he recuperated from illness, Watts set about to write a series of poems based on the Psalms. It was from this series of works that Joy to the World came to fruition.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Based on Psalm 98, Watts entwined the original Old Testament poem of David with the fulfillment of prophecy in the New Testament. The result was the Christmas hymn that is still cherished today, almost three centuries later. Set to a score adapted from George Frederick Handel’s “The Messiah,” Joy to the World has taken its place permanently in the hearts of both Christian and secular society. While many of Watts’ compositions have been forgotten, this Christmas hymn remains a favorite no modern church would dare exclude during the holiday season.

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Article Source: Populate.net

Rock music is generally based on the sounds of an electric guitar and rhythm section. However, some of the best rock bands rely heavily on the charisma, style and voice of their frontman. The frontman will traditionally just sing vocals, although some have played instruments such as the guitar or moog synthesiser.

The perfect frontmen must be captivating and demand the audience’s attention with outrageous or intriguing behaviour. An example of this would be the Sex Pistol’s Johnny Rotten who would provoke the audience with aggressive language and threatening behaviour. This style of frontman worked wonderfully in punk rock but wouldn’t be as successful in rock.

One of the most successful frontmen in music history is The Rolling Stones’ main man, Dartford’s very own Mick Jagger. Jagger relied heavily on attitude, pomposity and rebelliousness and would often be contrasted with the clean-living Beatles, this was the early 1960s.

Jagger would strut across the stage with microphone stand in his hand, this distinctive would be copied and imitated for decades to come. Mick Jagger’s colourful private life only added to his reputation as a great frontman, as stories added to the rebel-image that had been created.

If the role of the frontman is to epitomise the band’s style, direction and attitude then Rage Against The Machine’s Zack de la Rocha is one of the very best. Rage AGainst The Machine produce politically-aggressive rap-rock with Rocha as the key spokesman. He personifies their beliefs and is the perfect voice for their outspoken views.

The best frontmen in history, not just music, would be David Lee Roth and Freddie Mercury. David Lee Roth is the frontman and lead singer of sensational rock band Van Halen. With guitars and tight trousers, Van Halen took the rock world by storm in the 1970s and 80s.

Roth was a flamboyant and charismatic frontman, perfect for the glam, colourful music that Van Halen were playing. Unfortunately, band members fell out with Roth about his behaviour and caricaturish persona, leading to him leaving in 1985. Roth recently rejoined the band as they took part in a massively successful universal world tour of North America.

Freddie Mercury fronted the overtly camp British rock band Queen until his death in 1991. Mercury possessed a powerful voice, capable of reaching notes that others couldn’t as well as an ability to demand attention. He performed with such enthusiasm and vigour, evoking similar emotions from the audience.

Mercury was perfection in the arena-filling pomp rock of Queen, but he rarely reached the dizzying heights of superstardom of Chad Kroeger. Kroeger is the bearded frontman of rock gods Nickelback. This post-grunge band, have taken all the best bits from Nirvana and added pop sensibilities to produce music that will live on for eternity.

Kroeger’s voice is a rasping, angelic growl that tugs on the heart strings while simultaneously making you weep with excitement. How You Remind Me and Rock Star are two of the best songs ever written but the recordings are nothing compared to the buzz and anticipation that Kroeger creates at live gigs. He is the best.

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Patrick is an expert Research and Travel consultant. His current interest is in Luton airport hotels, Hilton Heathrow and Heathrow parking.

Article Source: Populate.net

The early 1900s saw the birth of Memphis blues music, and the sound of the Memphis blues has resonated through the country ever since. Some of the greatest blues musicians who helped to make the city famous for its music were Sleepy John Estes, Memphis Minnie, and Frank Stokes. Beale Street in Memphis was the area that Memphis blues music centered around, and most of the performances were given there, and most of the musicians made Beale Street their home.

There were many instruments that helped to make Memphis blues music what we know it as today. Guitars were used, along with jugs, harmonicas, some percussion, and even piano, although most instruments were more like hand made instruments. Some of the handmade instruments were from household objects such as spoons, stove pipe, washboards, and cans hit with sticks. In the very beginning of Memphis blues music, large gourds were even used to make home made guitars out of. They were flattened on one side, and then the musicians would carve a sound hole into it. Banjos were also sometimes made this way, and even though they didnt last for more than a few days before they rotted, the instruments sure worked.

Jug bands were a large part of the development of Memphis blues music. They were common in Memphis for years up until around the time of World War II, then after that, the electronic instruments began shooing the homemade instruments into history. The jugs that were used were held to the mouth, and blown across the top to make different pitches. Different jugs made different sounds, and most were made from stone or glass. Also, buzzing the lips a couple of inches away from the top of the jug also created different sounds and pitches.

Many African Americans who were living in the Mississippi Delta region and other poorer areas of the south left their homes in the early and mid 1900s to go to Memphis in search of a better life in a more urban setting. Many of the musicians who came to Memphis, and slowly the sound of Memphis music began to change. The Memphis blues music became a combination of the jug bands and homemade instruments and the songs of the African Americans, who often worked out in the fields and would sing songs all day while they worked hard.

Some of the most famous musicians who performed Memphis blues music were Howlin Wolf, Willie Nix, Ike Turner, and the famous B.B. King. They formed the genre known today as the Memphis classic electric blues, rhythm and blues (or R&B), and the beginnings of rock and roll. Without these musicians and many more like them, Memphis blues music would certainly not be all that it is today.

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Memphis musicians, during the early 1900s, brought music to the city that was unlike anything that the area or the nation had ever heard before. The blues is the name that was given to this music from Memphis musicians, and it still today gives a unique musical face to the city. Some of the great Memphis musicians include Big Mama Thornton, Rosco Gordon, Sleepy John Estes, B.B. King, and later, of course, Mr. Elvis Presley. The talents of these Memphis musicians greatly shaped the city of music, and the sound that people heard in the streets and on the radio would never be the same once the Memphis musicians made their footprints.

W.C. Handy was one of the greatest Memphis musicians, and at one time had written an autobiography. Describing the blues of the Memphis musicians as suggested by the snatches, phrases, cries, and idioms.. Handy showed the world that the blues is impossible to define, and only by ideas and suggestions can it all be understood. It wasnt long before the phrase music from Memphis was associated automatically with the blues.

W.C. Handy at one time had even been selected out of many Memphis musicians to write a campaign song for one of the mayoral candidates in the city. The song that was the result was an instant success and a hit, and was deeply influenced by and helped transform the Memphis musicians music for all time.

Before World War II, most of the music that Memphis musicians produces was played on homemade instruments that rose from common household items such as washboards, gourds, and pipes. There were guitars, banjos, fiddles, and mandolins, but it was the homemade sounds from the Memphis musicians that made the music unmistakable. Jug bands were a large part of the influence of Memphis musicians as well. The Memphis Jug Band and Gus Cannons Jug Stompers were two groups of Memphis musicians that added the musical zing to Beale Street. Jews harps and kazoos were also some fun little instruments that were frequently used for the sound.

After World War II, Memphis musicians took on a much different sound. Memphis musicians like B.B. King came in with their electric instruments and made the blues sound a little less homemade. This new music from Memphis was highly sought after by the producers at Sun Records, and many of the artists began to cut albums with the company. Because of the distribution opportunities that a deal with Sun Records came with, people all over the country were able to hear music from Memphis.

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Memphis soul music was shaped by many talented voices that are still famous in the music business today. People like W.C. Handy, Frank Stokes, Willie Nix, Furry Lewis, Sleepy John Estes, Junior Parker, Ida Cox, Memphis Minnie, Rosco Gordon, Howlin Wolf, Robert Wilkins, Big Mama Thornton and Bobby Sowell all worked together to create, shape and define what Memphis soul music was, and the impressions that they have left remain strong in the city still today.

Memphis soul music began to take shape in the grand city during the 1920s by some of the local musicians there who hung around the musical district of Beale Street. Beale Street was the center of artistic musical creation, and Memphis soul music was no exception. Not only was Beale Street the soul music capital of Tennessee, it was the soul music capital of the world. There have been countless books and documentaries written about the high times of Beale Street and its Memphis soul music. One of the most popular and more recent bestsellers was James Dickersons Goin Back to Memphis, which was written in 2000.

When Memphis soul music was first evolving, emphasis was first placed on the strange musical instruments that were distinct to Memphis music. These ranged from trombones and drums to guitars and homemade items, like washboards and mandolins made out of gourds. Harmonicas found their way into the hearts of many Memphis soul music lovers as well. These homemade instruments all came together to create the inspirational and unique sound of Memphis soul music.
Household items as instruments came into being because many of the musicians of Memphis soul music started their careers when they were very poor, and they could not afford to buy the shiny new guitar in the music shop on Beale Street, so they would make their own. Other types of musicians that formed the famous Memphis jug bands used empty jugs made of clay or glass and blew over them at different ways to make their music. There were also Jews harps, banjos, and any other kind of item that could make a great sound that were influential in Memphis soul music, as well as other types of Memphis music, too.

It wasnt until after World War II that the home made instruments began to be replaced by the electric instruments that came about into the music world, and the sound of blues and Memphis soul music changed with the introduction of these instruments. The large numbers of African American immigrants into the city also changed the sounds and structure of the Memphis soul music. The soul music of Memphis would forever have a unique history that is unmatched by any other genre of music today.

Music from Memphis has forever made a profound impact in the music world, and the city of Memphis has earned such nicknames as Home of the Blues The Birthplace of Soul, The Home of Rock and Roll, and Soulsville, USA. The music from Memphis has always been thick, rich, heart felt, and varied. Beginning with jug bands and Bluegrass, music from Memphis would become a permanent presence in the music world.

Music from Memphis really began in the early 1920s when jug bands played on the streets of the city, the center being once again Beale Street. Using homemade, simple instruments like the banjo, guitar, and a jug of course for the bass, music from Memphis erupted on the streets and branched into what we know today as the Blues. The Blues is music that is full of catchy rhythms and lyrics about life, work, and faith.
The music from Memphis known as Soul began in the little neighborhoods around Memphis. These neighborhoods became known as Soulsville, USA. Other areas were more concentrated in the blues, R&B, and eventually, Rock and Roll. Soul is a style of music that combines R&B music with Gospel music. It has been said that Memphis Soul Music is similar to Gospel in almost every way except one. The only difference between the two is the substitution of the word Lord in Gospel to the word Baby in Soul.

When World War II had come to an end, music from Memphis began to see the use of electronic instruments for the first time. Many musicians from all over the country came to Memphis with these electric instruments, changing the sound of Memphis blues. The musicians would gather on Beale Street, where there were recording studios up and down. These early musicians would record some of the first music from Memphis that was classic blues, rhythm and blues, and rock & roll records. Once of the most famous of these studios was Sun Records, who would record the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley, among many others.

The catchy, new, unique blends of music from Memphis quickly spread through the African American communities in Chicago, Philadelphia, Memphis, and Detroit. Music from Memphis was most heavily influenced by gospel, folk, and the jug bands, more so than in the other cities. The unique sound of music from Memphis that resulted from such a thick homemade influence was described as unpolished and raw. Up North, the sound had been more polished and smooth. Music from Memphis was gritty and raspy, which is what has made music from Memphis one of the most loved and time honored musical genres in the country.

It was a ‘Silent Night’ indeed when this beloved song was first composed. If not for a broken pipe organ, the world likely would have been without its most popular Christmas carol.

Perhaps it was that very silence that inspired the Reverend Joseph Mohr to pen those now-famous words in 1818. At the time, it was probably sheer desperation rather than inspiration that motivated him.

As Father Mohr prepared for Christmas Eve Mass in his church in the small Austrian village of Oberndorf, someone discovered that the church’s ancient organ was out of commission. With only a few days to go and the nearest repairman several days journey away, it appeared as though Mass would have to commence without musical accompaniment.

Feeling thwarted in his efforts to plan a memorable Christmas, Fr. Mohr set about to manufacture another plan. This was in the midst of all of his regular parish duties, including the blessing of a newborn infant. On this particular call, Fr. Mohr was suddenly struck by the words to what is now known as “Silent Night,” or “Stille Nacht” in his native tongue. Quickly, so as not to lose the lines that were rapidly filling his brain, he finished his call and raced home. Here he penned four stanzas, the first of which reads in English:

Silent Night, Holy night,
All is calm, all is bright,
Round yon’ virgin, Mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in Heavenly peace.

When he had set his words to parchment, he called upon his colleague, Franz Gruber, the musician who trained the parish choir. He managed to finagle from him the fact that, in addition to his organ prowess, Gruber was also a guitar player. Gruber emphatically informed him, however, that his guitar skills were less than proficient. Undeterred, Mohr presented the words to his new poem to Gruber. Rounding up a dusty, little-used guitar, the two men composed the song that would provide music for Oberndorf’s Christmas Mass.

It was unlikely at the time that either Mohr or Gruber had any inkling of the impact they would have on history. In fact, the song disappeared into near obscurity for a decade. It was then that “Silent Night” fell into the hands of the Strasser family of Zillertal Valley.

The four young, musically-trained Strasser children spent many an hour drumming up business for their parents’ glove-making business by singing in front of the shop. In a manner not unlike a modern talent agent discovering some secret talent in the unlikeliest of places, “Silent Night” was introduced to the Strassers. Rearranged from two-part to four-part harmony, the Strasser children were catapulted to instant renown with their rendition. Valley residents renamed it “The Song From Heaven,” since the Strasser children sounded so much like a choir of angels when they performed it. They sang so beautifully, in fact, the Strassers were invited to perform it before kings and queens.

It may have been a king who placed “Silent Night” indelibly on the lips of Christendom. King Frederick William IV of Prussia heard it sung some 22 years after the Strasser children began performing “The Song from Heaven.” Afterward, he declared that it should “be given first place in all future Christmas concerts” within the domain of his rule. Whether it really was or not isn’t certain. What is certain is that “Silent Night” breached King Frederick’s bounds to become loved the world over.

Over the years, musicians from Memphis have had an enormous impact on the sound of the music that we listen to today, no matter what genre it is. Without musicians from Memphis, rock and roll would not be what it has become today. If it were not for the contributions of musicians from Memphis, modern jazz and rhythm and blues as we know them today would not exist. These musicians from Memphis who have had such an influence on the sounds that Americans know as revolutionary in music are many, and each of the musicians from Memphis add unique qualities to music history.

To start, W.C. Handy is one of the pioneer musicians from Memphis. Although he was not born in Tennessee, but was born in Alabama, he is known as the Father of the Blues and when he moved to Memphis, he quickly became one of the most highly regarded musicians from Memphis to ever hit the scene. He introduced syncopated rhythms to the sound, which is commonly heard in rhythm and blues albums today.

Other popular musicians from Memphis include B.B. King. B.B. King was one of the first musicians in Memphis to be signed to the Sun Records label. Sun Records soon had his songs playingon the radio nationwide, which brought a level of popularity to the music that had never been seen before. Previously, the music produced by musicians from Memphis remained local to the region. King brought his electric instruments to the music, helping to bring the sound into modern times.

Another famous one of the musicians from Memphis that made Sun Records a popular label was Ike Turner. Although today he is probably best remembered for being associated with his ex wife Tina Turner, at one point Ike was one of the most respected and influential of all of the musicians from Memphis. Ike Turner often toured the country, helping to promote the music produced by musicians from Memphis. With his help, people from San Francisco to New York City were grooving to the sounds of musicians from Memphis.

Of course, there are many other musicians from Memphis that have had a huge impact on modern music. From Willie Nix to Memphis Minnie, all have shaped the history and culture of the blues. Musicians from Memphis all hold a special place in the history of music, and the dedication and work that they put into music has changed every genre of music for the better for all time to come.

With the establishment of the internet, learning to play guitar is now easier than ever. It used to be that guitar was only learned by taking guitar lessons or by reading books on how to learn guitar. Students would attend lessons each week, learn the material presented by the teacher, and then anxiously wait for the following week to come so they could have new material to learn. Nowadays, while taking professional guitar lessons is still a very helpful tool in learning to play the guitar, the internet has completely simplified the process.

The internet is loaded with easy guitar tabs and easy guitar songs that are accessible by anybody who knows how to navigate the internet. Gone are the days when guitarists had to learn difficult songs either by ear or from a teacher. The internet makes it possible to find tablature for almost any song by any artist. For instance, let’s say that you want to learn “One” by Metallica: All you need to do is type in “Metallica guitar tabs” in your search engine and you will immediately be presented with several versions of tablature for this song. Likewise, to find tablature for one of Eric Clapton’s songs, you could type “Eric Clapton guitar tabs” into your search engine. A more general method of finding tablature to songs that would be compatible to your skill level would be to type “easy guitar songs” or “easy guitar tabs” into your search engine.

Of course, beginner guitar players may not be able to read guitar tablature. The internet can even help to remedy this problem as well. There are innumerable online guitar lessons available, and to learn how to read guitar tabs, you could simply type “how to read guitar tabs” into your search engine. In no time at all, you will be able to understand the simplicity of reading guitar tablature, and you will be playing guitar with the best of them.

You would be surprised at how much guitar tablature is actually available online. Regardless of your skill level, there will undoubtedly be something out there for you to play. Likewise, regardless of what style of music you are interested in playing, there will be something out there for you to learn. The internet is stocked full of tablature; everything from Christian guitar tabs to Metallica guitar tabs is available. If you know how to read guitar tabs, countless hours of learning new music is already available to you at your fingertips. Simply turn on your computer, grab your acoustic or plug in your electric and get ready to rock.

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