| Rhythm and blues (or R&B) was coined as a | | | | musicians on Charlie Mingus's breakthrough |
| musical marketing term in the United States | | | | jazz recordings were R&B veterans. Lionel |
| in 1949 by Jerry Wexler at Billboard | | | | Hampton's big band of the early 1940s, which |
| magazine, and was used to designate upbeat | | | | produced the classic recording "Flying Home" |
| popular music performed by African American | | | | (tenor sax solo by Illinois Jacquet) was the |
| artists that combined jazz, gospel, and | | | | breeding ground for many of the bebop legends |
| blues. It replaced the term race music, which | | | | of the 1950s. Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson was a |
| was deemed offensive, as well as the | | | | one-man fusion, a bebop saxophonist and a |
| Billboard category name "Harlem Hit Parade," | | | | blues shouter.The 1950s was the premier |
| in June of 1949, and was initially used to | | | | decade for classic rhythm and blues. |
| identify the rocking style of music that | | | | Overlapping with other genres such as jazz |
| combined the 12 bar blues format and boogie | | | | and rock and roll, R&B also developed |
| woogie with a backbeat, later known as rock | | | | regional variations. A strong, distinct style |
| and roll. In 1948, RCA Victor was marketing | | | | straddling the border with blues came out of |
| black music under the name "Blues and | | | | New Orleans and was based on a rolling piano |
| Rhythm," but the words were reversed by | | | | style first made famous by Professor |
| Wexler of Atlantic Records, the most | | | | Longhair. In the late 1950s, Fats Domino hit |
| aggressive and most dominant label in the R&B | | | | the national charts with "Blueberry Hill" and |
| field in the early years. By the 1970s, | | | | "Ain't That a Shame". Other artists who |
| rhythm and blues was being used as a blanket | | | | popularized this Louisiana flavor of R&B |
| term to describe soul and funk as well. | | | | included Clarence "Frogman" Henry, Frankie |
| Today, the acronym "R&B" is almost always | | | | Ford, Irma Thomas, The Neville Brothers, and |
| used instead of "rhythm and blues", and | | | | Dr. John.At the start of their career, The |
| defines the modern version of the soul and | | | | Rolling Stones were essentially an R&B |
| funk influenced African-American pop music | | | | band.Contemporary R&BIt was not until the |
| that originated with the demise of disco in | | | | 1980s that the term "R&B" regained ordinary |
| 1980.Original rhythm and blues | | | | usage. During that time, the soul music of |
| | | | James Brown and Sly & the Family Stone had |
| In its first manifestation, rhythm and blues | | | | adapted elements from psychedelic music and |
| was a predecessor to rock and roll. It was | | | | other styles through the work of performers |
| strongly influenced by jazz and jump music as | | | | like George Clinton. Funk also became a major |
| well as black gospel music, and influenced | | | | part of disco, a kind of dance pop electronic |
| jazz in return (hard bop was the product of | | | | music. By the early 1980s, however, funk and |
| the influence of rhythm and blues, blues, and | | | | soul had become sultry and sexually-charged |
| gospel music on bebop) and African tribal | | | | with the work of Prince and others. At that |
| beats.The first rock and roll consisted of | | | | time, the modern style of contemporary R&B |
| rhythm and blues songs like "Rocket 88" and | | | | came to be a major part of American popular |
| "Shake, Rattle and Roll" making an appearance | | | | music.R&B today defines a style of |
| on the popular music charts as well as the | | | | African-American music, originating after the |
| R&B charts. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", | | | | demise of disco in 1980, that combines |
| the first hit by Jerry Lee Lewis was an R&B | | | | elements of soul music, funk music, pop |
| cover song that made #1 on pop, R&B and | | | | music, and (after 1986) hip hop in the form |
| country and western charts.Musicians paid | | | | known as contemporary R&B. In this context |
| little attention to the distinction between | | | | only the abbreviation "R&B" is used, not the |
| jazz and rhythm and blues, and frequently | | | | full expression.Sometimes referred to as |
| recorded in both genres. Numerous swing bands | | | | "urban contemporary" (the name of the radio |
| (for example, Jay McShann's, Tiny Bradshaw's, | | | | format that plays hip hop and R&B music) or |
| and Johnny Otis's) also recorded rhythm and | | | | "urban pop", contemporary R&B is |
| blues. Count Basie had a weekly live rhythm | | | | distinguished by a slick, electronic record |
| and blues broadcast from Harlem. Even a bebop | | | | production style, drum machine-backed |
| icon like arranger Tadd Dameron also arranged | | | | rhythms, and a smooth, lush style of vocal |
| for Bull Moose Jackson and spent two years as | | | | arrangement. Uses of hip hop inspired beats |
| Jackson's pianist after establishing himself | | | | are typical, although the roughness and grit |
| in bebop. Most of the studio musicians in R&B | | | | inherent in hip hop are usually reduced and |
| were jazz musicians. And it worked in the | | | | smoothed out.HistoryContemporary R&B singer |
| other direction as well. Many of the | | | | Mary J. |