This rather short reading focuses on the ways and the style of Johnny Otis. At the beginning of the reading, it starts out telling about Johnny Otis’ life and giving some pretty basic information about him. The article says that he played the drums, and it also tells about many of his different jobs. But, as the article continues, it begins to focus on more jazz performers, and also goes into some more detail, telling more about his music and style.

First we hear about a “breed of musicians.” One that could inhabit the “musical never-never land that exists between southern blues, and “so-called” jazz. I think that this is an excellent way to describe the way someone impresses their style of music. It almost gave me the sense that it is a type of music only made by this “breed of musicians.” A style which no body has ever discovered before. The reading says it is between “so-called” jazz and the southern blues; which seems to mean a little bit of both.

The reading also says that many of the blues performers who starred at the Alabam had a very uninhibited, laid back approach to their music. This made me feel like maybe they were so laid back because they knew they could be. Maybe they felt like they were just so good that they didn’t have to worry about anything. Or maybe it was just the fact that if you got to star at the Alabam, you really didn’t have anything to worry about…besides the money of course. They “usually worked for peanuts”. However, this didn’t seem to keep their spirits down. They always seemed to give their best performance, and are always full of enthusiasm. Yes. They THOUGHT they had a good thing going, so they saw themselves as “jazz players” or “singers” but they were really thought more of as “Jump music stylists.” The customers didn’t seem to care in the least about precise, beautiful music.. they just wanted “spirited entertainment and fun”.” It seems like back then, this was the case with lots of people. I find that comedy is appealing to most people even nowadays. Most people just want something that they can dance like idiots to. The article says that they liked “bawdy” lyrics as well. This was probably so that they could get a good laugh out of whatever was being sung; (and the music would no doubt help with that).

Something else I found very interesting is their meaning of “bawdy”, and what bawdy lyrics actually were to them. What would be risque to us now, would have been appalling to them back then. However, their idea of “bawdy” is barely, if at all offensive to us now. Their idea of offensive or “bawdy” almost sounds like baby talk to me. I am sure that they had somewhat offensive phrases in that time, but after hearing even half of the stuff that people say today, their language seems like nothing.