Ella Fitzgerald singing When I get Low I get High still has that big band sound of the late 30s early 40s. She was an early crooner in an age that was typically limited to instrumentals. If there was a vocalist back then it was often male. Considering women could not yet vote or even legally sign a contract, her success was even more remarkable. Ella Fitzgerald defiantly broke barriers and created great music that is distinctive to the times.

A major war (the world’s second) was breaking out in Europe during this time which caused a sudden decline in the availability of musicians and staffed venues where they could perform. I can only imagine how quiet of a time that must have been for those who remained at home. I imagine them sitting by the old Victrola playing the same records over and over thinking about their loved ones.

Keep in mind the songs of the 1940’s were only released as singles since the LP wouldn’t come out for another ten years or so. Today you’ll hear many lasting songs from the 40’s by Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra, two emerging artists at the time. Aretha Franklin was there too making her way from Memphis and all across the nation before settling in Michigan. You’ve got to respect that woman every damn day! We’ll come back to her in a future publication.

When the war ended in 1945 the music of that time became notably more upbeat. The horns are often celebratory, and for America this was a time to get out, see a live band and if you were lucky, dance a little jitterbug.

Here is a link to this weeks playlist.

Enjoy!

So where to start? How best to explore this record collection of mine and in what order? Before I answer that question I’d like to explain another reason why I’m taking on this project. Sure the music will be great and some of the songs will bring back memories but there is something deeper going on with the sounds that came from decades of the past. Major societal shifts peppered with political protests and citizen discontent were frequent subjects of some of the best songs. Songs are like time capsules from a historical context and offer a glimpse at the past. Some of the best albums mark critical periods of time, either beginnings or endings. We’re going to dig in, year by year and watch for the shift, identify emerging sounds and celebrate a few one hit wonders along the way.

I got to thinking about the types of music my parents listened to in the 60’s when they were young adults. And then I wondered about their parents, my grandparents who in the 1930’s and 40’s were listening and living through very different times. How did when they lived shape the music the knew and loved? What was considered progressive during each earlier generation and where was the tension between genres? Certainly the geography creates its own narrative with rhythm and beats familiar to natives.

We’ll explore these ideas and more here at Waukazoo Records. Weekly posts with fresh insight into specific times and on specific record labels will get you thinking maybe sometimes outside of our comfort (and familiarity) zone. I welcome your comments too. This is a community where all people are welcome. That’s the beauty of music. Like all art, there is no right or wrong, left or right, music is the free expression of the unique experience of living.

We’re going to start way, way back, in the mid 1940’s with the first post on Monday. We’ll find out who was playing and where, what their signature sounds were like, and maybe most importantly how to do the jitterbug, just like my Grandma used to do.

Until then, see you on the flip side,

Lisa

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