ABSTRACT
The funky drumming rhythms made popular by James Brown were increasingly usurped by bass players. The singular style of rhythm & blues (R&B) that emerged from New Orleans in the years after World War II played an important role in the development of funk. As the rhythmic underpinnings of American popular music at mid-century began to move away from swing and 12/8 metres, more assertive rhythms and dances emerged in R&B and soul music. Although the boogie-woogie fad had diminished by the early 1950s, boogie bass patterns and piano styles continued to exert a powerful influence on American popular music. Crescent City musicians, savouring the musical traditions, culinary delights and unique cultural mix, were understandably reluctant to leave. The demands of tourists as well as local audiences, and the economic rewards bestowed by the recording industry for their singular sound, led New Orleans musicians to cultivate and seek out distinctive ways of playing.
