Hughbass Music History
Dmitri Shostakovich, (25 Sept. 1906 – 9 Aug. 1975)
Music in the Soviet Union, Part 1
Early Soviet music after the 1917 revolution was exciting, experiencing a unique period of expressive freedom. While the new country was busy searching for its identity, composers were largely left unchecked, relying on their own institutions to guide their creative path. Join me as I start this new adventure of educational videos based on history, music, and its intersections with the modern world.
Music in the Soviet Union,Part 2
Early Soviet music would endure one of the most challenging aspects of categorizing expressions. As literature and other artistic models proved easier to mold, music, under criticism proved harder and harder to pin down. As many musicologists would later observe, music was much closer tied to the emotional, therefore difficult to blend into a class doctrine. In the early stages of Soviet cultural reforms, musical expression enjoyed tremendous freedom, and a multitude of styles were experimented with as the party attempted to develop the music of the proletariat. Join me today as I explore some of this complicated history of the early 1900s in the Soviet Union, and enjoy this jazz rendition of the traditional gypsy song, Bublitchki, as performed by the Barry Sisters.
Music in the Soviet Union, Part 3
Early jazz influences in the Soviet Union secured the notions that music connects us deeply through expression, and those connections are never easily contrived through planned means. While composers struggled to find a genre and style that embraced the ideals of the new nation, jazz had already captured the attention and hearts of the populace. Come foxtrot with me as we shimmy our way through some stories of early Soviet music. Thanks for reading, and enjoy Alexander Tsfasman’s 1930’s “Joseph Joseph” music clip as a premonition for what’s to come if this important music style.
Music in the Soviet Union, PArt 4
Soviet music in the 1920s would go through an amazing rollercoaster of changes. Black artists would find wonderful receptions marred later with state-sponsored criticisms of populist authors and officials. Jazz would transform from a beloved expression of dance and class revolution to a politicized corruption of western decadence and the bourgeois. Artists like Garvin Bushell and Paul Robeson would experience welcomed arms from the Soviet Union, and later be horrified by the reign of terror brought about by Stalin and the Communist Party. Come experience this wild ride of early post-revolutionary Soviet music history, and enjoy the listening example of Paul Robeson singing about another figure in the fight for the working class, Joe Hill
Music of the Sorrow Songs, Part 1
The Sorrow Songs are an important part of American music. Much of how we navigate the complicated history of slavery and the music that came from Africans that suffered by its travesty is prevalent in our current modes of sonic expression. W.E.B. Du Bois describes the color line that existed during the end of the 19th century. Many of the same questions Americans struggled with then persist even today. Join me as I discuss the cultural margins that permeate music and their origins in the earliest days of American history.
Music of the Sorrow Songs, PArt 2
This episode focuses on how the Sorrow Songs transcend into post Civil-War society and eventually encompass important aspects of American popular music culture. Their sounds exposed through the faces of white artists is unable to dismiss their origins. A great deal of the music that would dominate the air waves in the early to mid 1900s was built upon the message of the continued oppression of black society. This dynamic continues to mold the shape of American music to this day.
The Sorrow Songs, part 3
The third installment of The Sorrow Songs takes us into the world of modern Gospel music and its breaches into the early 20th century. Follow along as we continue to chronicle the importance of Black music history in the identity of the United States.
The Sorrow Songs, Part 4
This week, I have focused our journey through music history on the topic of American identity, the cultural margins of the color line, and passing through the veil of racial divide that the ‘sorrow songs’ so boldly cross. Our path has intertwined with appropriations of black musical expression from their bonds, to the battles for emancipation championed by abolitionist movements in the North. The jazz of New Orleans, the gospel of the south, and the Motown of Detroit are all part of narrative. Today we reach the life of Barry Gordy Jr. His lineage embraces the coding of the American story, and his contributions to equality are a perfect reflection of the heroes in this chapter. Enjoy the listening example of Marv Johnson’s ‘Come To Me’. Co-written by Gordy, and thanks for watching!
Music History Ep. 9 | Hughbass.com | Grunge: Part 1
The era of punk rock and heavy metal led to many splinters of musical expression. One of the more fascinating genres to evolve from its core was grunge. This sparsely researched and largely underappreciated category of cultural significance is at the heart of much of our listening habits today, and helped spur an important arm of the post-modern feminist movements in pop culture. Join me for this first episode exploring its captivating connections to our modern music landscape.
How did Punk and Heavy Metal Shape Grunge? | Hughbass Music History, Ep 10
Punk rock and heavy metal were interesting bedfellows in the story of grunge. The socioeconomic and political conditions that built their rise were important starting points for the eventual rise of this Seattle based music genre. Join me today as we explore about their relevance in how grunge was born!
How Did the "Riot Grrrl" Movement Impact Grunge? | Hughbass Music History, Ep 11
What is "Riot Grrrl?" Where did it come from, and how does it connect to grunge music? Find out today in the third installment of the grunge videos from Hughbass Music History!
The Fall of Grunge. What Killed the Music?
By the end of 1997, Grunge had fallen from its height of popularity. What killed the music genre? Watch today as I wrap up the 4 part series on Grunge. Be sure to find more great info about music history at https://hughbass.com and find me on Patreon and Medium.com!