Sonny's Blues Blog

1.) Research the setting of “Sonny’s Blues” – Harlem, NYC. 

Harlem is a neighborhood in New York City that was made up of mostly the African-American population. New York City then started to become popular and houses were being built and Jews, Italians and the Spanish were moving in quit rapidly. In the 1950's a majority of the whites had moved out and a lot of crimes were happening in the Harlem neighborhoods. When the different groups of people were not forming together correctly the city of Harlem started to go down hill. The percentage rate of drugs in Harlem was more than half that it was in New York and twelve times more than it was in the United States as a whole. The use of drugs then increased the rate of murder and it was becoming one of the worst places to live in New York City.

In the story Sonny grew up in a town known as Harlem. It was quit common for someone to use drugs as a way of escapement. Sonny became addicted and it landed him in jail. Not only did he use the drugs but he dealt them as well. He turned to drugs to get help him get away from all the hardships that were occurring in his life. His uncle had been killed by a group of drunk white people and at that times there was a high amount of rate crimes that between occurred the different cultures.

http://harlemworldblog.wordpress.com/new/

http://www.newyorkcity-realestate.com/citytour/NY/Harlem.php

2.) Research the history of African-American men in the military – Pre-Civil 
Rights movement.

In World War 11 there were over a million African-Americans involved in the war. This war had involved had destroyed many lives along with many countries. One positive that came out of the was the break-through for African-Americans. An African-American finally became a general, Army Air Force organized it's first all black squadron of pilots, and black women were accepted into the Womens Auxiliary Army Corps. "In many ways, the destruction of World War ll brought momentous changes to American life and was the catalyst for the early civil rights movement."   

It is ironic that Sonny wants to enlist in the army because of the hard-ships and discrimination that he has seen in Harlem. He was in jail where he still had to go through the everyday discrimination and face the battles that occurred in the jail. When he got out of jail I believe that he wanted to make a change for himself. He didnt want to relive the everyday life that he always did in Harlem. He believed that it was a way for him to get out and make a new discovery for himself. 

http://www.geocities.com/mclane65/black-heroes.html

http://www.oxfordaasc.com/public/features/archive/0608/index.jsp

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1105312/sonnys_blue.html?cat=44

 3.) Research song lyrics by Billie Holiday. Find a song or verse that you feel best 
  represents the suffering of Sonny – his blues.  Include song title and lyrics here.

"Life is bare, gloom and misry everywhere
Stormy weather
Just cant get my poorself together,
Im weary all the time
So weary all the time
When he went away the blues walked in and met me.
If he stays away old rockin chair will get me."

This sends to me the message about the way Sonny lived. Life was not going the way anyone intended it and everywhere you could look on the streets there was misery. People were turning to drugs so because it was their idea of running away from it all. Im weary all the time could be a way that he felt when he was high because your mentally in a different state of mind. He could have easily overdosed and he would never be able to see another sunny day again. Until he got out of jail did he see what it was like outside in the eyes of a real person. 

Billie Holiday "Stormy Weather"

Dont know why theres no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man and I aint together,
Keeps rainin all the time

Life is bare, gloom and misry everywhere
Stormy weather
Just cant get my poorself together,
Im weary all the time
So weary all the time
When he went away the blues walked in and met me.
If he stays away old rockin chair will get me.

All I do is pray the lord above will let me walk in the sun once more.
Cant go on, evry thing I had is gone
Stormy weather

Since my man and I aint together,
Keeps rainin all the time

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/billie+holiday/stormy+weather_20018077.html

4.)  Research Bebop.

Bebop is a type of Jazz music that has an unpredictable tune. It was established in the 1940-1950s. It was unlike the other big-band groups, bebop usually contained up to four to six members. It have each member in the group a chance to incorporate their own style into their music. Unlike in large groups where it becomes harder to incorporate everyones style. Bebop incorporates both the blues and swing into their music but the give it their own unique sound. Bebop is to have its own genre and rather then danced to it it just meant to be listened to.

Bebop is a way for Sonny to express himself. He believes that the music his helps him reveal the pain from inside and helps him get away from all the hardships that he had faced in the past in Harlem. As times goes on Sonny's brother comes to one of Sonnys jazz's performances and it makes he realize why Sonny has such a big interest in his music. He saw what how it took away all the pains that they both had occurred and he began to look at jazz in a different light. Jazz was no only used as a type of music to listen to but as a type of expression.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-bebop-music.htm