Table of Contents

1 – Influences on R&B

There are five major genres listed below that have an influence on R&B music, which is basically, the blues, jazz, gospel, folk and country & western (C&W). This is misleading, I know, there are hundreds of subgenres. And myriads of influence. I’ll be concentrating on rhythm & blues (R&B) for this blog so I’ll briefly mention these parent and influential genres that make up the whole of truly indigenous American music.

 A) The Blues

Music from a mystical past, out into a recorded time, rural to urban, the great-grandfather of modern music. Encompassing Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, BB King, and Eric Clapton and beyond. 19th century – 21st century.  

1) Rural Blues – Acoustic blues sprouted up generally from the American deep south, and specifically “the Delta”, Texas, New Orleans, Memphis and many other southern locations. WC Handy, Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson, Lonnie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith & Ethel Waters, and more. The 1920s & 1930s.

2) Transitional Blues – Blues progressed by becoming modern and plugging into electricity, now the guitar could keep up and lead the band. Muddy Waters, Tampa Red, Leadbelly, Lonnie Johnson, Leroy Carr and Big Bill Broonzy among others. 1938-1947. 

3) Urban Blues – Electric Blues guitar becomes an art form and leads the bands into heavy amplified territories in dance music and R&B. Chicago Blues, UK Blues. T-Bone Walker, BB King, John Lee Hooker, Blues Revival, and Eric Clapton. 1948-Present

  

B) Jazz*

Another mysterious music splintering off from the blues and becoming its own technically proficient musical genre. Consisting of many phases from (1890s-1960s) and many sub-genres like Dixieland, Swing, Be-bop, Hard Bop, Free & Avante Gard. Below is a listing of specific styles of jazz that were influential in the development of rhythm & blues.

1) Swing jazz – Swing jazz as a dance music was very influential to the bands of early jump blues and R&B. Andrew Sisters, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway. 1935-1946

2) Boogie-woogie – A jazz piano style that splintered off of “stride” piano and gave a blues structure to R&B. Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Jimmy Yancey, Pinetop. 1929, 1938-1946

       

C) Gospel

Gospel music is sacred music. The black church brought forth a highly animated and spiritual music, that went on to inspire popular secular modern music. Mahalia Jackson, Soul Stirrers, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin. 18th century – 21st century.

D) Folk Music*

Many forms of folk music were imported to America, country blues, hillbilly, Bluegrass, country stomps, Vaudeville, jug bands, Texas troubadours and ring shouters, there are too many genres to list. 17th century – 21st century. 

E) Country & Western*

There are many forms of Country & Western sub-genres such as country pop, bluegrass, outlaw country, heartland country, Western Swing, honky-tonk, rockabilly, Nashville Sound, Bakersfield Sound and many more. 19th century – 21st century.

 

* Please note that these genres are way too big for this blog to cover.