Blues and Jazz
1/8/2022 8:56:00 PM
Do you know?
- The Blues is a music genre and musical form. Its origins trace back to the period of African – American slavery during the 1800s.
- Jazz is an original style of American Music. It is a unique blend of many styles of music including gospel music, brass bands, African music, blues, and Spanish music.
- Blues and Jazz are probably intimately connected because they were both born in the American South. People easily get confused when it comes to understanding the two forms.
Let's explore more about these two music genres and their differences!
Let's learn some new words before you read the passage:
Listen to the passage Blues and Jazz and complete the sentences by dragging the correct word to each blank.
People from Europe and America brought Africans to America as before and during the nineteenth century. These Africans brought their music with them. After the American Civil War (1861-1865), the African American people in the United States were not slaves. Their African American music became famous. It started in the South, in Louisiana and Mississippi. Then it traveled to the North. This music became the blues and then jazz.
Blues and jazz became very popular in the twentieth century. A person who "sings the blues" feels sad. Usually, he or she lost something - a person, or maybe money or a job. Blues songs sad feelings, sometimes in a funny way. People played the blues first with only one or two instruments, for example, a guitar, a harmonica, or sometimes a piano. Sometimes they sang without any instruments. Some famous blues musicians and singers are Bessie Smith, John Lee Hooker, and B. B. King. B. B. King named his guitar "Lucille."
Jazz came soon after blues. added more musical instruments. Jazz can be happier than the blues and is often faster. Some famous jazz are Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Wynton Marsalis.
Musicians who play blues and jazz change the music to express their feelings. They play the music each time. People all over the world still like to listen to blues and jazz.
Read the passage and answer the questions.
Blues and Jazz
People from Europe and America brought Africans to America as slaves before and during the nineteenth century. These Africans brought their music with them. After the American Civil War (1861-1865), the African American people in the United States were not slaves. Their African American music became famous. It started in the South, in Louisiana and Mississippi. Then it traveled to the North. This music became the blues and then jazz.
Blues and jazz became very popular in the twentieth century. A person who "sings the blues" feels sad. Usually, he or she lost something - a person, or maybe money or a job. Blues songs express sad feelings, sometimes in a funny way. People played the blues first with only one or two instruments, for example, a guitar, a harmonica, or sometimes a piano. Sometimes they sang without any instruments. Some famous blues musicians and singers are Bessie Smith, John Lee Hooker, and B. B. King. B. B. King named his guitar "Lucille."
Jazz came soon after blues. Composers added more musical instruments. Jazz can be happier than the blues and is often faster. Some famous jazz musicians are Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Wynton Marsalis.
Musicians who play blues and jazz change the music to express their feelings. They play the music differently each time. People all over the world still like to listen to blues and jazz.
Source: Facts and Figures
- Jazz musicians are more famous than blues ones.
- Jazz can be played with faster tempo than blues.
- Blues is played with more instruments than jazz.
- Blues is played by more excellent players.
According to the passage, people sing the blues when _____.
- they're surprised
- they're in a bad mood
- they're waiting for friends
- they're bored
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about blues in the passage?
- Blues can be played with a guitar.
- Blues appeared ealier than jazz.
- Blues is more popular than jazz in modern times.
- Blues features fewer musical instruments than jazz.
What does the word “it” in the first paragaraph refer to?
- the music of African Americans
- the music of American Europeans
- the music of European Africans
- the music of Europeans
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
- Blues and jazz are less popular than other genres of music.
- The melody of blues and jazz songs depends on musicians' emotion.
- People like to listen to blues and jazz because of their meaning.
- Now people worldwide are not interested in blues and jazz.
The tone of the author in this passage is _____.
- ironic
- neutral
- criticizing
Build your vocabulary by learning these intensive phrases/idioms
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in a bracket. You must use between THREE and FIVE words, including the word given. Do not change the word given.
That higher oil prices are bad for economic growth is a widely held belief. (WISDOM)
=> higher oil prices are bad for economic growth.
If we do nothing to control this pollution, I guarantee we will in the future.
Choose the word(s) OPPOSITE in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Eric got no votes at all, but we didn’t tell him because we wanted to spare his feelings.
- entertain him
- upset him
- surprise him