Hotter Than That Vs. Singin’ The Blues Essay Example

A. “Hotter than that” is played at a flying tempo. It is fiery. The melody is lively. It is similar to many of the songs I have listened to. It is up-tempo and keeps you bobbing your head. The improvised trumpet solo flows easily overtop the rest of the bands’ continuous, bouncing accompaniment. The melodies throughout the song follow a similar pattern and remain largely the same. The song features multiple solos playing one after another over backing instruments. This is typical of the music of this time. In this way it follows the patter of typical dance pieces. However, Armstrong’s scat that carries over six measures differs slightly from the typical dance piece formula. Near the end of the song, the accompaniment stops, while Armstrong engages in a back and forth solo. This is a major step away from the typical style of dance pieces. The solos are the main part of the show. While the song bears many of the same elements of pieces I am familiar with, it maintains a free and different style that differentiates it from similar pieces of the same category.
B. The song has various elements that expose it for a piece representative of early jazz. At around 46 seconds, there is a clarinet solo played in the upper register. Fills and a continuous rhythm accompany it. This prominent clarinet solo is one example of what makes the song representative of Early Jazz. The next example is the “scat” solo that comes directly after the clarinet solo at around the 1:20 mark. Armstrong scats over a similar accompaniment. A bluesy guitar backs him until the next break. The general melodic inventiveness is another characteristic of early jazz present in the song. One can hear it in each solo, particularly the conversational solos toward the end of the piece. Overall, the song is quite representative of the early jazz period.
C. The piece is similar in its opening in which the musicians seem to jump right into the piece without much need to warm up. The rhythm is similar in its easy bounce and backing made for a soloist. The general feel is certainly a bit more laid back and easy than the much livelier first piece. The trumpet solo dominates the work. Bix has an easy flow and the trumpet sits easily atop the backing instruments. Both pieces feature an opening trumpet solo. The second piece is far more organized in its rule. The chords change as the melodic phrases end. The solo fits snugly into each phrase. This is quite different than Armstrong’s free style on “Hotter Than That”. Though the solo does stay “in the box,” the notes used are still a bit atypical for the style.
D. I prefer the first piece to the second. The first piece is lively and electric and forces your head to bob and your foot to tap. The second bares similar qualities but does not quite have the insistent personality and bounce of the first. The first one also has much more variety. While the second is primarily a trumpet solo and then another trumpet solo, the first has a trumpet, a clarinet, a “scat” solo and even blues guitar. It starts off with a bang, carries easily from one section to the next, and finishes with a triumphant moment and a “bang”. The first one especially reminds me of watching Looney Tunes as a kid and hearing these sorts of songs accompanying the characters. The first piece was chaotic, yet organized; the second piece simply felt too neat.