Spirituals to Swing and America's Modern Music - Introduction

Active Shooter Preparedness

This presentation stresses the value of pre-incident situational awareness and how competitive decision-making applies to surviving an active shooter incident.

Situational awareness can warn you of an imminent deadly threat and provide information necessary to survive an active shooter incident. Understanding how your values, experience, and knowledge contribute to competitive decision-making can help you to improve your response to a deadly threat.

I recently gave this presentation to my coworkers at a performing arts theater.  The content is general and applies to any venue.

My background includes 40 years of work in security and law enforcement as a federal government employee or active duty military member.

Spirituals to Swing and America's Modern Music

Fundamentally, Modern American music features a unique expression of self and community that was brought to America from Africa. It was molded by the oppression of slavery, and then amplified in the language, tones, and instruments brought to America from Europe. Such a profound blending of diverse cultures, European and African, created something new, the Modern American and American music.

This is the story of the emergence of jazz and modern music from Spirituals, Blues, and Ragtime, to Swing, Gospel, Boogie Woogie, Rock and Roll, and Hip Hop.

The story features samples from the following recordings:

Freddie Keppard - Stock Yard Strut

Maple Leaf Rag - Scott Joplin

Good Morning Blues - Barbara Dane

I Found a New Baby - Sidney Bechet, Wild Bill Davidson

Levee Camp Holler - Mississippi State Prison

Moses - John Davis and Group

Dark Was the Night - Blind Willie Johnson

River of Jordan - Fisk University Jubilee Singers

Copenhagen - Benson Orchestra of Chicago

Melancholy Blues - Louis Armstrong

Singin' the Blues - Bix Beiderbeck

Brother Can You Spare a Dime - Bing Crosby

Willow Weep For Me - Paul Whiteman

Don't Be That Way - Benny Goodman

What a Little Moonlight Can Do - Billie Holiday

Strange Things Happen Everyday - Sister Rosette Tharp

Roll 'em Pete - Big Joe Turner

Rocket 88 - Jackie Brenston and the Rhythm Kings

Dizzy Atmosphere - Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker

Roxanne - Arizona Cervas

I appreciate the assistance provided by Dwayne Ramsey, Richard Hadlock, and Linda Ryan in preparing this episode.

Comments may be sent to [email protected].

Spirituals to Swing and America's Modern Music - Introduction

This episode introduces myself and the next episode about the emergence of America's first modern music, jazz.

I am not a jazz musician or scholar. I grew up around jazz people and listening to their music. What we grow up around is worth sharing.

The episode is supported by samples from the following recordings:

Big Noise from Winnetka - Ray Badeuac, Bob Haggart

Oakland A's Swingers Baseball Band (field recording)

River of Jordan - Golden Age Jazz Band with Janis Joplin (field recording)