Earth, Wind, and Fired Up: Ready for Takeoff

Earth Wind and Fire’s 1981 hit, “Let’s Groove,” kicks off with a shuffled hi-hat rhythm penetrated by deep, tight bass drum kicks. In the lower registers, vocals passing through a vocoder synthesizer conflate the line between words and bass, mouthing a thick and fuzzy “Down…boogie down…down uh oh…”. When the chorus kicks in after two measures, the listener is introduced to the upbeat, infectious, and interlocking rhythms of funk—Earth, Wind, and Fire style. An electric bass takes over the vocal line, electronic claps mark the snare, and horns intersperse Maurice White’s vocalizations: “Let’s groove tonight/ Share the spice of life/ Baby slice it right /We’re gonna groove tonight.”

Earth, Wind, and Fire, formed by Maurice White in Chicago in 1967, continues to be a decades-long funk phenomenon, but there is more to their approach to funk than feel-good lyrics and a party mentality. The video to “Let’s Groove” exhibits several key features of what sociologist Alondra Nelson and other scholars have labeled “Afrofuturism.”  Briefly, the term denotes an African American ideological current associated with aesthetic references to outer space, non-Western cosmologies, religious and historical revisionism, and a stringent critique of the socio-economic plights of African Americans (and diasporic and continental Africans more broadly). Indeed, “Let’s Groove” includes multiple aesthetic references to Afrofuturism: a backdrop of flying white stars in the vastness of outer space, glittery and metallic-colored spacesuit costumes, and a group line dance preceding through a receding, neon pyramid. The line dance—a salient feature of the Chicago-originated television series Soul Train, proceeds through a potent symbol of Egyptology: the pyramid. Egyptology, an influential religious current during the 1960’s and 1970’s, placed black people at the center of Western and world history, and the pyramid adorns several EWF album covers, including 1977’s All ‘N All.

1977's All 'N All. Design cover by Japanese illustrator Shusei Nagaoka

Indeed, upon closer examination 1970’s funk holds deeper implications for not only the transcendent aspirations of Afrofuturism but spirituality more generally. In a 1981 interview, founder Maurice White emphasized the spiritual component of Earth Wind and Fire, saying “the creativity and the spirituality…is all one. With my spirituality being together, I can more or less call upon my creativity… You can’t have one without the other.” Additionally, scholar Ricky Vincent has connected funk to African spirituality, saying “funk is deeply rooted in African cosmology—the idea that people are created in harmony with the rhythms of nature and that free expression is tantamount to spiritual and mental health.”

Not only funk but various styles of music coming out of black Chicago in the late 1960’s and 1970’s reflected deep ties to ideology, lived experience, heritage, and community. Music was not simply art but life.  Indeed, it embodied life that reflected the ideological and political currents of a turbulent era.

Writing in 1998 in the journal Lenox Avenue, musician and scholar George Lewis—at the urging of musicologist Samuel A. Floyd, Jr.—argued eloquently for an “integrative” approach to music scholarship, one that fully recognized the multi-dimensionality of musical practice. His article, “Singing Omar’s Song: A (Re)construction of Great Black Music,” emphasized not only the auto-criticality and self-reflexivity of Black musicians in the 1970’s Art Ensemble of Chicago.  It also explained the collective’s deeply ideological, historically-responsive, and spiritual approaches to music. Lewis’ integrative approach to music scholarship offers a rich lens through which to view the artistic output of 1970’s Black Chicago. And Earth, Wind, and Fire exemplify deeply integrative tactics, combining visual references, fashion, music, and deeply self-reflexive spirituality in their unique concoction of one of the 1970’s most salient genres—funk.

Ruthie Meadows

Chicago

Every city has a pulse. The heart of Chicago culture has a rhythmic pulse beat that hits with every sound imaginable—from the heavy bass of hip-hop to the blaring horns of funk. The cultural trajectory of Chicago is one based in a timeless diversity of black music.

It is this history that has created the work of Professor Guthrie Ramsey. I sat down with him to discuss his most recent endeavor, “The Chicago Project.” This aptly titled look into the sounds of a city has its roots in a course taught by Ramsey entitled, “From Blues to Obama: History, Culture and Power in Black Chicago.” Not only does this include works from his students, but also special events and performances; all capturing the soul of Chicago. Prof. Ramsey himself puts it best, “This project comes out my research of the great Chicago artists like Curtis Mayfield and Ramsey Lewis. What I’m trying to do with this endeavor is contextualize their contributions to the Chicago aesthetic as a whole—musically, politically and otherwise.”

This project will inevitably explore cultural aesthetics overlooked by many and perhaps known to few in such detail. Beyond the scholarly work, the University of Pennsylvania hosted legendary jazz pianist, band leader, and native Chicagoan Dr. Ramsey Lewis as Spring 2010 Artist-in-Residence in association with Center for Africana Studies for a three day event on March 17-19th.

Ramsey Lewis

One of the most exciting aspects of the Chicago Project lies in the genius of  Dr. Ramsey Lewis. To say that Dr. Lewis is an exemplar of longevity and prolificacy may be an understatement; a testament to his stellar artistic journey. Continuing a career ranging over sixty years, Lewis has built a resume boasting dynamic genre-bending jazz sounds with even more dynamic performances. Beyond that he has worked in both popular radio and television series, broadcasting his musical tastes to audiences around the world. The roots of Dr. Lewis come out of a Chicago tradition, known quite well by Prof. Ramsey.

As a Chicago native himself, Prof. Ramsey referred to the musical landscape of the city as “diverse and wide-ranging.”

“Today, I hear radio stations focusing in on one genre. Growing up in Chicago, I could turn on the radio and hear everything on one station—Jazz, Blues, Gospel, R&B. That’s Chicago.”

There is no better example of this principle than Dr. Lewis. While heralded and typified as a jazz artist, Lewis transcended the single genre boundaries. Beginning a career in the acoustic feel of standard jazz and mixtures of classical sounds, his music of the 1970s saw major appearances by vocalists Maurice and Verdine White of the legendary Chicago Funk band Earth, Wind & Fire. From there, Lewis went on to explore the smooth jazz and R&B styling, while never forget his early jazz roots.

Ramsey Lewis Trio – Hang On Sloopy (1973)

It was within this microcosm that Professor Guthrie Ramsey was nurtured. When I asked him who he listened to as a youth, he paused as wide grin spread across his face. For a second, even I myself forgot the expansive list of great musical acts coming out of the Windy City. After his elongated pause he said, “Honestly, I listened to everyone. Of course, the well-known artists like Ramsey Lewis, Curtis Mayfield, Jerry Butler, Chaka Khan and Earth, Wind & Fire. But there was so much more. I grew up in a time when you could really hear your local artists—Von Freeman, Binky Green. Lonnie Plaxico. I could go on for days…”

Of course, Professor Ramsey is no stranger to the stage himself having performed with the timeless Chicago group, The Chi-Lites. As an artist, the diverse musical landscape has shaped the way in which he models his career. “I look for that mixture when I’m recording an album. I don’t want to confine myself to this specific genre or that specific genre. I just want to do music—in all its forms.”

The Chi-Lites with Eugene Record – Have You Seen Her

One cannot help but get excited when discussing the project with Professor Ramsey. This project is much more than simple academic research for the professor. For him, it is a look into a cities’ history, his city, his history. However, the music of Chicago has become a part of a widespread tradition of amazing music. The taste of Chicago has become a slice of Americana tradition, one which can be enjoyed by all.

PAUL PENNINGTON

Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye

Stevie Wonder – Superstition

The music that we hear now will be the basis of the music that we will be listening to twenty years from now.  Musical genres are constantly evolving from and influencing one another.  This trend is evident simply by examining the roots of the musical genres that have emerged during the past century .  Two musical movements that shared similar beginnings, but also have fundamental differences in their musical objectives was the Motown movement of the 1960s and today’s Indie rock movement.  Both emerged from existing musical genres (Motown from soul, rhythm, and blues; Indie rock from the punk movement as well as contemporary pop-rock music) and further defined the existing genres into more specific terms.

Marvin Gaye – Heard It Through the Grapevine

Motown began in Detroit in the 1960s, when Berry Gordy, Jr. founded Motown Record Corporation.  Motown Records had a profound influence on the music scene, and it is widely considered the first truly successful mainstream record label to be owned by an African American.  Motown is responsible for introducing many famous black artists, such as Stevie Wonder, The Jackson 5, and Marvin Gaye, into the “pop” music scene.  Motown music was considered to be on the simpler side, as the label tended to avoid producing songs that were overly complex or difficult to understand musically.  The Motown sound was suited to pop music and optimized to be embraced by the masses.  Motown Records was very successful at not only integrating black musicians into mainstream music culture but also in helping them achieve commercial success.

Vampire Weekend – Cousins

Another movement, which is more contemporary, is the indie rock movement, which began in the 80s but really took off in the late 90s and during the new millennium.  The indie rock movement is not so much a change in musical style as it is a change in the way that artists think about marketing and promoting themselves and their music.  Whereas Motown was trying to take the genres of soul, gospel, and blues and introduce them to the mainstream, indie rock is trying to do the exact opposite, taking control of the music away from the record labels and putting it back into the hands of the musicians.  Indie rock bands primarily generate popularity and interest for themselves via word-of-mouth and the internet through social media such as Myspace, Twitter, and Facebook.  Artists of the indie rock movement place retention of their creative licenses as their number one priority, choosing to forgo  popularity and success on the mainstream music scene in exchange for the ability to have  control over the production and promotion of their  music.

NICK BARETTA

Marvin Gaye

The 1960s was a decade of monumental change in sociopolitical, technological, and musical spheres.  The United States was in the midst of an unpopular war and for the first time the American people were brought to the front lines.  Each night families would sit in front of their television screens and watch the images of violence and destruction that planted the seeds for thousands of protest songs.  Civil rights and war became the motifs of rock bands, folk musicians and Motown vocalists.  The Protest Song Movement reached across the lines that had been drawn to separate genres.  Its success is a reminder that labels and distinctions are the products of critics and record companies.  Although the mediums of self-expression varied from musician to musician, the message in the lyrics was often the same.  The focal point of the Protest Song Movement of the 1960s was the Vietnam War.  Today, artists remain political but the scope of their involvement has changed as they are now speaking out against the American dependence on the media, commercialism, and most recently the condition of Africa.

Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On

As the 1960s came to a close, two artists were working vigorously on anthems that would define their beliefs.  Marvin Gaye, a Motown soul singer wrote “What’s Going On” and John Lennon penned “Imagine”.  These two musicians had very different backgrounds.  One was African American, the other a British citizen.  One had started his career as a rock musician, the other had roots in Soul/ R&B.  However, both Lennon and Gaye had written songs protesting the senseless of war and urging peace.  There was a sense of community in the music world that crossed boundaries.  Normally, folk movements start with the common people and rise to popularity.  Here the movement came from the top down, and the community that spawned the Protest Movement was composed of popular musicians themselves.  This was a folk movement without precedent, not based on art or the media, yet truly influential.

John Lennon – Imagine

Today, American musicians have reached a level of self-involvement and passiveness that seems shocking when analyzed.  Underground music continues to make statements, but these bands have such limited influence that their points have little influence on the American people.  A minority of musicians continue to push their opinions, protesting commercialism, the media, and African apartheid.  These artists are attempting to reverse the negative effects of the media and mobilize their listeners to make a change.  If other musicians would only resist the opinions and trends that the mass media implements, songs protesting and advocating other causes could reemerge.

Green Day – American Idiot

In 2004, the punk rock band Green Day released the album titled American Idiot, which became an instant hit and went all the way to number one on the American Billboard charts.  The title track refers to the “new media” and those who follow it as “American idiots”.  Of course punk rock has always been anti-establishment and continues to be one of the strongest forces in the modern Protest Song Movement.  However, even the self-centered Kanye West took a stab at the protest song with 2005′s “Diamonds from Sierra Leone”, which claims that the diamonds we consume are the product of child slave labor.  Not only does this song denounce consumerism, but it also addresses Africa, which has been a hot issue among musicians this decade.  Finally, it’s a common belief that the media and commercialism institute conformity, and in 2003 the alternative rock group Radiohead released “2+2=5″ (an allusion to George Orwell’s 1984). Americans today allow the media to make choices for them.  The message is clear:  “You have not been paying attention.”

Kanye West – Diamonds of Sierra Leone

The Protest Song continues to survive in modern music.  Although it attracts a much smaller following than its 1960s counterpart, its scope remains as broad as ever.  Every genre has artists with issues that need to be heard.  But how come the protest song has become such a rarity, and refuses to address the current unpopular war?  It’s possible that many musicians fear a backlash, as was the case when the Dixie Chicks bashed President George W. Bush and severely hindered their record sales.  In the 1960s, artists used songs as a medium to spread their message, and to many this was far more important than success or album sales.  Today, the message is only of secondary importance after the music.  Kanye might sing about child labor now, but ask him to take a pay cut, he might be singing a slightly different tune.

Radiohead – 2+2=5

Brandon Batzel

Sam Cooke

The 1960’s was an era categorized by vast political and cultural change. America had elected its first Catholic President, succeeded in launching a revolutionary expedition to the moon, experienced vast racial strife, and was plagued by the most unpopular war in domestic history. From a peripheral view, it may seem that these paramount events define 1960’s America.

Looking back on this decade, it is important to note how the artistic and political advancements of the era were very much intertwine with one another. The Civil Rights Movement, in particular, sparked vast musical and artistic creativity. Talented musicians from all over the nation told their stories of grief and struggle through the powerful tool of song. African-Americans of the era hoped that these ballads would raise awareness of their cause, and ultimately eradicate the proverbial racial fissure that existed in American society. One man who embraced this philosophy wholeheartedly was R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke.

In Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come,” Cooke expresses the hardships that he must bear as a black man in 1960’s American society. He indicates that even though he has been struggling since he was “born by the river in a little tent,” he is optimistic about the future and “a change is gonna come.” In the third stanza he yells, “I go to the movie and I go downtown…somebody keep tellin’ me, don’t ‘hang’ around.” This line portrays how he not only cannot even enjoy simple pleasures in life such as going to the movies or walking down town, without the constant fear of being lynched. In the fourth stanza, his story continues with the phrase “Then I go to my brother and I say brother help me please. But he wind up knocking me back down on my knees.” This statement could symbolize how blacks are constantly trying to earn their equality from whites but the African-American community is perpetually forced into this inferior social status.

Sam Cooke – A Change is Gonna Come

Through the lyrics, Cooke is able to unveil his story, and the shared story of blacks in America to the world. The musical qualities of the song not only supplement the story Cooke is telling, but also humanizes it. The beginning of the song starts off with a string section soli that radiates a pessimistic mood, however by the end of the section, the song lightens up. This transition is symbolic of the entire piece, as Cooke describes the hardships that blacks must endure but ends with the sentiment of hope and optimism. Throughout the song, the listener can hear the sheer emotion in Cooke’s voice. When talking about his life, his timbre is dark and full of anguish. The accompanying string and horn sections supplement his voice with many minor chords, which illuminate the sense of pain and hardship.

When Cooke reaches his prominent phrase that “A Change is Gonna Come,” however, the darkness that encompasses his voice is replaced by a confident and bright timbre. In addition, Cooke uses an array of instruments to illustrate the different sentiments that he is trying to convey. When portraying sadness and grief, he is accompanied by a single violin that seems to trail of into the background. When portraying anger and determination, he is accompanied by the loud riffs of the horn section.

Cooke uses a variety of accompanying instruments and an impressive range of timbre to evoke the many emotions that defined the Civil Rights Movement. “A Change is Gonna Come” has been featured in venues ranging from Malcolm X’s funeral, to Seal concerts, to American Idol. The song was even used as one of the theme songs for Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential campaign. Even though this piece was written in 1964, today it continues to serve as a paradigm of musical achievement.

President Barack Obama refers to the lyrics of “A Change is Gonna Come” in his presidential acceptance speech in which he mentions “…it’s been a long time coming”, culminating with his statement “Change has come to America”.

Adam Lambert – “A Change is Gonna Come” Live on American Idol Finale

Colin Zelicof

James Brown – Good Foot/ S Power/ Make It Funky (ST 1973)

Recognized as the “Godfather of Soul”, renowned artist James Brown was easily one of the most influential figures in 20^th century popular music.  With his ear-piercing cries and hollers as well as the accompaniment of his flawless, energetic back up bands, Brown created generations of ‘feel-good’ funk and soul music.  In Brown’s live performance at Soul Train on February 10, 1973, he blended three of his well-known songs- Get on the Good Foot, Soul Power, and Make it Funky- to create a fusion that paralleled the energy and creativeness seen throughout much of jazz history.  Abundant in ring shout tropes, the affect of this tune’s various musical components on the audience is alike to the influence of numerous early jazz artists on their listeners.

The driving rhythm created by the drum set, tambourine, bass, and guitars- though it varies a little during the song -is a call to the audience to ‘Get on the Good Foot’ as much as is Brown’s outright demand in his lyrics. The rhythm section’s constant repetition and preciseness embeds a metronomic pulse in the people’s mind to dance to just as Count Basie’s Orchestra would have done so in 1940.  In addition, Brown’s use of call and response with the audience at various moments generates an involvement and interaction between musicians and listeners that enhances the excitement.  Brown asks the people, “What do we need?” and they respond, “Soul Power”, he ask the people, “Can I do it?” and they respond, “Do it!”, and finally he asks the people, “Can I make it funky?” and they respond with “Make it funky”.  This question and answer technique in Brown’s vocals is used for the same purpose as it has been always been used: audience participation. Repeated riffs in the saxophone section, especially those ending in long, bent notes, almost create a countermelody to Brown’s vocals in the first section of the song while providing support for Brown’s spontaneous cries and interjections as well.  These exclamations and shrieks convey the energy and climatic points along the song.  Though Brown’s calls might be more frequent and forward than shouts heard in earlier jazz styles, both forms of vocal improvisations are used to express the emotion at that moment of the song.

Although James Brown’s performance of “Get on the Good Foot, Soul Power, and Make it Funky” occurred decades later than early jazz shows, the tropes infused throughout the song express the same ideas as tropes heard in early jazz tunes.  The constant repetition in the rhythm section, vocals, and band create that driving dance tempo and beat as heard in swing and other forms of jazz.  The brief solos and spontaneous cries almost release the pent up energy that the song produces so that the audience remains relaxed and comfortable.  Though one can’t say that Brown’s music ‘really swings’ or ‘has that ragged ragtime rhythm’, its ability to ‘be funky’ allows any audience to enjoy as they would other forms of jazz.

Allyce Estremera