Todd Decker
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- March 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199389186
- eISBN:
- 9780199389223
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199389186.003.0005
- Subject:
- Music, Popular, History, American
This chapter looks at approaches to “Ol’ Man River” that emphasized the beauty of the melody over the contentious content of the lyrics. The concept of “easy listening” is introduced and several ...
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This chapter looks at approaches to “Ol’ Man River” that emphasized the beauty of the melody over the contentious content of the lyrics. The concept of “easy listening” is introduced and several groups of recordings of the song are put into historical context: elaborate instrumental versions appearing on 1950s and 1960s LPs designed to display hi-fidelity home stereo equipment; orchestral versions from the 1940s meant to elevate tunes from the Broadway stage into the category of concert music; and a rather unlikely cluster of laid-back recordings from the 1970s and 1980s by reggae musicians. White bandleader Fred Waring’s performances of the song on television and record are discussed in detail. Waring frequently used “Ol’ Man River” to feature the single African American performer in his otherwise all-white band and chorus: baritone Frank Davis sang “Ol’ Man River” many times in high profile settings in the 1950s.Less
This chapter looks at approaches to “Ol’ Man River” that emphasized the beauty of the melody over the contentious content of the lyrics. The concept of “easy listening” is introduced and several groups of recordings of the song are put into historical context: elaborate instrumental versions appearing on 1950s and 1960s LPs designed to display hi-fidelity home stereo equipment; orchestral versions from the 1940s meant to elevate tunes from the Broadway stage into the category of concert music; and a rather unlikely cluster of laid-back recordings from the 1970s and 1980s by reggae musicians. White bandleader Fred Waring’s performances of the song on television and record are discussed in detail. Waring frequently used “Ol’ Man River” to feature the single African American performer in his otherwise all-white band and chorus: baritone Frank Davis sang “Ol’ Man River” many times in high profile settings in the 1950s.
K. E. Goldschmitt
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- October 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190923525
- eISBN:
- 9780190923563
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190923525.003.0003
- Subject:
- Music, Ethnomusicology, World Music
This chapter details the transition of the bossa nova from ubiquitous fad to music for an older demographic to explain how the music became associated with seduction and the easy listening format. It ...
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This chapter details the transition of the bossa nova from ubiquitous fad to music for an older demographic to explain how the music became associated with seduction and the easy listening format. It features an analysis on the use of bossa nova in three films that feature international espionage and travel, with a focus on the pairing of bossa nova with moments of seduction and the postwar crisis in masculinity. It also traces the legacy of Astrud Gilberto’s career in the United States following the breakout success of her appearance on the recording of “The Girl from Ipanema” with Stan Getz and João Gilberto, and her influence on the extended legacy of bossa nova after its peak in popularity.Less
This chapter details the transition of the bossa nova from ubiquitous fad to music for an older demographic to explain how the music became associated with seduction and the easy listening format. It features an analysis on the use of bossa nova in three films that feature international espionage and travel, with a focus on the pairing of bossa nova with moments of seduction and the postwar crisis in masculinity. It also traces the legacy of Astrud Gilberto’s career in the United States following the breakout success of her appearance on the recording of “The Girl from Ipanema” with Stan Getz and João Gilberto, and her influence on the extended legacy of bossa nova after its peak in popularity.
