Battle of the Bands - COUNTRY vs. JAZZ (Quarter-Finals)

[Corki]

Two music heavyweights collide here in the second quarter-final as they both vie for your votes for a place in the Semi-Finals. The Champion of Country, Johnny Cash, who beat Madness in Round 2, takes on Louis Armstrong, the champion of Jazz, who ended B.B. King's challenge in the previous round.

 

The Champion of Country... JOHNNY CASH

Johnny Cash is widely considered one of the most influential music stars of all time. Not just in the counrty music scene, but for music in general. He started playing and writing music at a time when artists were still playing the normal "accepted" styles of music that mostly encompassed the good Christian Faith. Cash took music in a different direction, writing songs that reflected issues in peoples lives then. He was considered a rebel in the times, always dressing in black and pushing the limits of "acceptable behavior". His music is also remembered by the tell-tale boom-chick-a-boom or "freight train" sound of his Tennessee Three backing band. You have to wonder what modern music would be like if there hadnt been brilliant, and rebellous musicians like Johnny Cash to change the standards of what people listened too. That is why we chose Johnny Cash.

 

Sample song:  Cocaine Blues  or  A Boy Named Sue

 

The Champion of JAZZ...LOUIS ARMSTRONG

Louis Armstrong, nicknamed Satchmo and Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer.

 

Armstrong was a charismatic, innovative performer whose improvised soloing was the main influence for a fundamental change in jazz, shifting its focus from collective improvisation to the solo player and improvised soloing. One of the most famous jazz musicians of the 20th century, he was first known as a cornet player, then as a trumpet player, and toward the end of his career he was best known as a vocalist and became one of the most influential jazz singers. Armstrong grew up at the bottom of the social ladder, in a highly segregated city, but one which lived in a constant fervor of music, which was generally called “ragtime”, and not yet “jazz”. Despite the hard early days, Armstrong seldom looked back at his youth as the worst of times but instead drew inspiration from it, “Every time I close my eyes blowing that trumpet of mine—I look right in the heart of good old New Orleans...It has given me something to live for.”

 

Jazz was not an easy choice, as you can find inspirational Jazz musicians from several cities, notably New Orleans, St Louis, and Chicago. We decided that "Satch" embodied Jazz music as a whole, and he was a forerunner in the change from "Big Band" jazz, to "Solo" jazz music.

 

There you go - the two champions of Country and JAzz. All you now need to do is pick who you want to win (please highlight in some way or another) and go through to the next stage of the Knock out and one step closer to the Grand Final! You have until Monday 11th August 2008 to make your choice!

[Majsju]

Johnny Cash

[snin83]

Gonna have to go with Johnny Cash here.  Usually I would pick Jazz as a genre over country any day, but I know more Cash songs than Armstrong, and I have come to enjoy Cash as an artist.

[Corki]

And it looks like Johnny Cash is storming into a good early lead!

[Taymist]

Louis Armstrong

[Samuraiflip05]

Very tough choice.  Ummh, Louis Armstrong.

[BridMorgan]

I love Louis, but I grew up listening to Johnny so my vote goes to Johnny Cash. 

[Arrandion]

Louis Armstrong  :)

[Felicur]

Louis Armstrong

[Terrapin]

I love both Louis and Johnny, so a hard choice, but feel I got to go with my roots and say Johnny Cash.

[Corki]

And what a key vote that was! Johnny Cash edges out Louis Armstrong 5 votes to 4, and takes his place in the semi-finals.

 

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