"Black Rhythm" Music of the 1920's

  

Down in Louisiana

There's a grand piano-playing man;
He knows that they can't kid him
'Cause he's got hot rhythm in his hand.
The blues that he'll compose will thrill you
From your head to your toes.
He called his song "Black Rhythm,"
'Cause his black hands did it 'neath the moon,
The keys he plays on sweetly,
And you're left completely in a swoon.
The melancholy strum
Mixed with the rum-tum of melodious blues.

When he plays the blue note,
And adds a new note,
You'll think that he wrote a symphony.
But he's just improvising
On a southern mammy melody.
You'll quit your pouting,
And start a'shouting,
No need in doubting he knows the keys.
He can lay on the white ones,
Can play on the black ones with ease.
The way he plays Black Rhythm
Makes the gang stick with him all night long,
Forget the hour is late,
They hear him syncopate his mournful song.
A'humming like the breeze,
A' strumming lightly on those ivories.

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Black-Rhythm-lyrics-Cab-Calloway/8F8F961529DC8A3048256C230007DF44

Cab Calloway(1907-1994)

     This song, by Cab Calloway, was written around 1930-1934. Although it was not written in the Harlem Renaissance it was directly influenced by it. It explores deep pride for the African accomplishments in music. It talks about how the African American musicians knew they were talented and no one could dispute it. Calloway was probably quite proud of his own success in the music industry and wanted to how how he felt.
    The line "He can lay on the white ones,/ can play on the black ones with ease." could have a double meaning. Obviously Calloway could mean the piano keys and how easy it was for the pianist to play his beautiful music, but it could also relate to how charmed the white audiences were with this style of music in the 1920's. He is expressing his pride and also showing us that white "folks" enjoyed and appreciated it even when they had no respect for African Americans as a people.
     I really like the bluesy and soulful melody of this song. It seems mournful and sad but the lyrics are actually touting the black music of the 1920's. The song itself talks about "melancholy strum" and "mournful song" when in fact this song is not mournful or sad, it shows deep pride and well deserved smugness at the success of black artists.