7th Blog Post: "Summertime"

 

"Summertime"-Janis Joplin

The song I chose this week was Summertime by Janis Joplin. Even though the original artist was Billie Holiday, Janis did a great job covering the song and even put her own twist to it. Both versions of this song have a blues feel to them. Janis has such a unique voice that whenever you hear her singing, you immediately know that it is her. This style of music is one of my favorites because it came out during the 60s which is when a lot of great artists and music were popular. About halfway through the song, the guitar breaks away from its traditional role and the guitarist does a guitar solo. The guitarist also did a great job matching the sound of the guitar with Janis's voice. This song has a riff (repeated melodic idea), hook (a musical phrase that is particularly catchy or memorable), and groove (a pattern that channels particular rhythms). It is a shame that Janis Joplin passed away when she was so young, I believe she would have had even more of a successful career. Overall, I enjoy listening to this song, especially when Janis sings it. I am excited to learn more about the music and artists that were popular in the 60s.