Sam Norton
A&E Editor
Jake Williams
Equinox Staff
The Beatles sang, “You say you want a revolution / Well, you know / We all want to change the world / You tell me that it’s evolution,” right now, it’s an evolution of music.
Hip-Hop
It started in the 1970s with “Sex Machine”—as a way to “get on up and stay on the scene.” It became the foundation of hip-hop, and it all started with one artist: James Brown and his use of the classic breakbeat. Brown helped start a new wave of music that would appeal to a different generation.
By introducing the idea of a breakbeat, Brown was able to revolutionize the idea of hip-hop music. According to senior Jeff Slark, a local musician and DJ, “The first stuff was made when they would take breakbeats, or beats that break dancers would dance to, about 110 to 120 beats per minute and they would rap over it and put a break in the middle of it.” It wasn’t until 1975 that Grandmaster Flash used his Clock Theory and Quickmix technique that he was able to mix and blend breakbeats, according to the article “Rap of the Ages,” published in Mother Jones.
These breakbeats helped develop the idea of attaching a message to the lyrics of a song—and for Slark, Grandmaster Flash was one of the first musicians to be able to do so. Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message,” is an example of a song where an artist is able to tell a story with their lyrics and illustrate what they want you to see in their music, Slark said.
However, the idea of a message present in the lyrics of hip-hop music is one that has disappeared with the use of breakbeats. “Once you get into the 1990s that is when it starts getting into the flashy stuff,” Slark said, “What is hip-hop anymore? You would have to sift through the underground stuff to find out.”
Rather than using their lyrics as a way to portray their struggles—the focus of the artist has now shifted to the materialistic aspect of the industry. The Notorious B.I.G. said it best: “Sometimes your words just hypnotize me / And I just love your flashy ways / Guess that’s why they broke, and you’re so paid.” The Notorious B.I.G.’s 1994 debut album, Ready to Die, which instantaneously rose him to fame, is a classic example of music derived from the fundamentals of hip-hop. Slark said that artists such as Tupac and the B.I.G were artists who attached meaning to their lyrics and also began to incorporate the “flashy” side of the music industry into their work.
According to the article, “Moving on Up,” by Jeff Chang, “New York rappers Nas and The Notorious B.I.G. borrowed from West Coast ‘gangsta rap’ the figure of the hustler, but they focused on the low end of the hierarchy, on the kid who could be found ‘grinding’ on the corner day to day—always restless, always endangered, hoping to out wit cops, murderous rivals and turncoat allies to rise above the scrum.” And rise above the scrum they did; Nas, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, all rose above to help set the benchmark of what hip-hop music should be.
“Young hip-hop heads found open doors to formerly exclusive circles,” Chang said in his article. But what has changed about hip-hop music are the subgenres associated with it: rap and R&B. These newer types of hip-hop music appeal to the masses, Slark said.
Now, artists like Jay-Z, Donald Glover “Childish Gambino” and Kanye West have introduced their own unique take on hip-hop music. They have used the basics and fundamentals to help recreate this genre so it appeals to the current generation.
“It’s about getting into the psychology of what sounds perfect or most appealing to the masses and promoting the hell out of it,” Slark explained. Tim Gagnon, general manager of WKNH, said, “Mainstream artists don’t have anything deep to say, but that is what is selling now.”
And what typically sounds best to the ear is a rhythm that is catchy—something that is produced by technology and not breakbeats. “Technology has grown exponentially and that is what music has become. The beats are cool, but they are computer generated now,” Slark said.
“It’s almost like comparing fast food to green vegetables. Now people are so addicted to the fast food that when they hear the vegetables they can’t take it, they don’t like it. It’s almost like a muscle that you have to exercise to really appreciate it,” Slark explained. For him, the beats that are generated by a computer screen are the fast food of the rap industry.
However, this fast food music of the rap industry is what has brought in the most significant amount of income. According to the article
“What is real about ‘keeping it real?’” by Dipa Basu, “In the late 1970s, rap music was perceived to be ‘too black, too strong,’—a red flag to most major record companies, back in the day when rap’s commercial virility didn’t produce too many corporate hard-ons. Now the boardrooms are full of them. In 1990 rap music generated $600 million in profits. In 1991 $700 million. In 1996, rap culled over $800 million in revenue, a significant proportion of the record industry’s gross $12 billion that year. While rock ‘n’ roll languishes, hip-hop and R&B are becoming the dominant popular music.” But James Brown didn’t stop at “Sex Machine.” He had that feeling as soon as it was born to get it together, right on. Jazz music is what ultimately led to Brown’s creation of funk, which later translated into the basics of hip-hop.
Jazz
Jazz as a musical medium got its start in New Orleans during the end of the nineteenth century. Here, blues and ragtime music blended with the unique social situation of cosmopolitan New Orleans to create the first “jazz” sounds. Who created jazz is a topic for debate among music scholars and historians. As is the case with deciphering most beginnings, it is those who popularize it that often get the credit, though common sense dictates it doesn’t end with them, it only begins. A classic philosophical quandary exists in this search; who would Jimi Hendrix have been as a guitarist if not for Link Wray?
Conversely, what notes would legendary trumpeter Louis Armstrong have played without first hearing the coronet of Buddy Bolden? Whatever the case, in 1917 the American listening audience got their first chance to hear jazz music.
Artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Herbie Hancock and Maceo Parker paved the way for jazz music. Dan Kuhn, vocalist and guitarist for local band the Calerpittars, said, “Anyone who has any inkling of jazz knows Herbie Hancock.” The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, a group of white musicians from New Orleans, cut the first phonographic recording after a string of well-received performances in New York. This was the jumping off point for jazz as a popular music in the United States.
Andrew Reynolds, bassist and guitarist for the Calerpittars, said that jazz is about taking a form of music and challenging its players and listeners. Since implanting itself in the American mind, this complex style of music has been seen as a genre that is instrumental in influencing music’s growth. This beckons another question, what is the state of jazz in Keene?
Former Keene State College professor, Mike Wakefield has played jazz since the early 1960s. Wakefield plays all four types of saxophones, which is now his preferred instrument, along with clarinet, flute and some keyboard. Wakefield said he started playing jazz music after he became interested in listening to it in junior high school.
“Everybody else was listening to The Beatles and I thought that was okay, but I liked other stuff better,” Wakefield said.
He said his listening was varied during this time, from the contemporary players of the time like Phil Woods and Miles Davis, to the old Dixieland style jazz that his father introduced to him.
“He dragged me along to a lot of concerts. I guess to see some of the original guys that had played with Louis Armstrong and Charlie ‘Roll’ Morton and people like that way back to the turn of the century,” Wakefield said.
According to Wakefield, nearby Brattleboro, Vt. is one area where jazz is very much alive. The Vermont Jazz Center and the Open Music Collective, both located in Brattleboro are organizations that promote the continued growth of Jazz music, providing concerts, education as well as outreach to local musicians.
Wakefield said Brattleboro’s location being a straight shot up from New York City off Rt. 91 is one reason that Brattleboro may maintain this Jazz scene. Wakefield said the western Massachusetts area; from Worcester to the five college’s area in the Connecticut River Valley remain areas where Jazz thrives.
However, Wakefield said Keene is a much different story than these other regional areas, having declined since the 1970s and 1980s when it was more prevalent.
“Keene is sort of traditionally dead in a lot of ways.” Yet the old traditions aren’t lost to Slark. Slark said, “People often like what they know, instead of know what they like,” adding that he grew up on traditional jazz artists like Duke Ellington.
“The first jazz I ever heard wasn’t any new-age, modern jazz of our time,” Slark said, “It was the old guys.” There is certainly a balance as Slark cited jazz Saxophonist Maceo Parker, one-time member of both James Brown’s band and funk innovators, Parliament Funkadelic, as one of his favorite jazz artists. Slark said he has seen an increase in students saying they listen to jazz music, which coincides with the recent uptick of interest in vinyl records. “I’ve talked to a lot of kids who will get a whole range of records of genres, jazz will be in there,” Slark said, “I’ve increasingly heard people say that they like jazz.” “Now more than ever music listeners have such an appreciation for every decade and a lot of genres,” Gagnon explained.
Rock ‘n’ Roll
One of those genres is rock ‘n’ roll, withbands such as the Rolling Stones, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and The Beatles at the forefront of it. “It was 20 years ago today / Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play / They’ve been going in and out of style / But they’re guaranteed to raise a smile,” and just how The Beatles promised Sgt. Pepper would raise a smile—their music still continues to be in style. Dan Kuhn, vocalist and guitarist for local band the Calerpittars, said, “I really enjoy where music is going now. There are so many places where you can fit rock now. Music has become so free form.” Kuhn said that artists like Little Richard and Chuck Berry helped put rock ‘n’ roll on the map.
“His mother told him someday you will be a man / And you would be the leader of a big old band,” Berry sang. But rather than becoming the leader of a big old band, Berry became the leader that helped pioneer rock ‘n’ roll music during the 1950s. His ability to develop rhythm and blues into the distinct form of rock music that has influenced countless of artists today. However, Berry was not the only artist to influence rock music; artists such as Led Zeppelin and The Beatles also helped revolutionize the idea of rock ‘n’ roll. Kuhn said that Led Zeppelin helped influence the birth of metal music, and The Beatles played a role in popularizing pop-rock music.
“I think if you look at 1950s pop and surf rock music that is really the foundation for mainstream rock music in general because it has catchy verses and the chorus that everyone remembers, that is how pop rock music is made now,” Gagnon said. Reynolds said, “Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones defined rock ‘n’ roll. Whether it was good or bad, they defined it.” Like hip-hop music, rock has evolved to incorporate countless genres today.
“The 2000s had a big part in introducing indie music,” Kuhn said, “They [musicians] stopped putting out blues, hard rock, and metal.” Harry Jones, drummer for the Calerpittars, said, “Music is a complete representation of whatever time period we are in.” And for the 2000s, rock ‘n’ roll music has become similar to ’80s music. According to Kuhn, technology is a big influence in creating the beats that are present in music today—similar to the sounds of the ’80s.
Jones said, “People need to reinvest in music as an art form.” And what will allow music to become an art form is a compilation of various genres.
Kuhn said that rock ‘n’ roll, hip-hop and jazz music all go hand in hand in how they are developing, and this will help change music and alter it.
“Music always changes and that is the beauty of it,” Gagnon said, “It shows the absolute depth of human creativity.”
So where will music be in the next ten years? Not knowing is part of the beauty of it—but artists are the ones who are making this change occur—to become honest and true players in the music industry,–“throw your hands in the air if you’s a true player.”
Sam Norton can be contacted at
snorton@keene-equinox.com
Jake Williams can be contacted at
jwilliams@keene-equinox.com