During the decades of the 1950s and 1960s in the United States, a type of music emerged that became very popular for easy listening. Also known as chillout, lounge music in contemporary terms is often known as the type of sounds heard in a hotel bar, piano lounge or casino. The first appearance of this genre was back in the 1920s, when it was termed light music.
There are many influences to this musical genre. These include electronica, downtempo, space age pop, swing, polynesian, bossa nova, exotica and particularly jazz. Instruments typically used to create tunes in this genre are vibraphones, the guitar, drums, the piano and ethnic percussion.
The feeling this genre of music evokes is one of tranquility and being transported to a peaceful place. Examples of this could be outer space or the jungle. The key theme through listening to this style is most certainly relaxation, especially when one considers where this type of music is heard. It is perfect for an easygoing social setting.
While you will find that most songs in this style are without lyrics or vocals, especially in more recent times, you can also hear tracks from previous eras with singing in them. In fact, many a singer have attributed their beginning in the industry through lounge singing during the swing jazz period of the 1930s-40s. At this time, it was the singer and not the instrumental that was the focus.
Some of the best known singers from this period include the Rat Pack. Other popular vocalists during this period are Jackie Gleason, Louis Prima, Sam Butera and Sonny King. Many of the performers of this time were using music and songs from Burt Bacharach, who is a six-time Grammy Award winner and a three-time Academy Award winner. A lot of the artistes he collaborated with could be found performing in the casinos of Las Vegas.
In the nineteen nineties, Combustible Edison, Love Jones, The Cocktails and The High Llamas were just a few of many groups that revived the genre. In nineteen ninety-six, Capitol Records released an entire seris of Ultra-Lounge albums. The genre itself was very different to the other popular style at the time, known as grunge.
In the new millennium, musicians and singers have revamped the entire genre by combining strong elements of contrasting musical styles. An example of this would be Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine, who covered both metal and hip hop tunes but in the manner of a lounge singer. Nouvelle Vague, a band from Paris, did something similar where 80s post-punk tunes were redone.
There are club style settings where these instrumentals and songs can be heard. The locations are done in the style of a classy bar serving cocktails as opposed to the larger setting of an actual club with a separate dance floor where the music overpowers the environment. The idea behind such ultra-lounges is one of socializing on a more intimate level than in a club, with semi-private rooms and booths available for reservation and much more subdued tunes playing in the background.
There are many influences to this musical genre. These include electronica, downtempo, space age pop, swing, polynesian, bossa nova, exotica and particularly jazz. Instruments typically used to create tunes in this genre are vibraphones, the guitar, drums, the piano and ethnic percussion.
The feeling this genre of music evokes is one of tranquility and being transported to a peaceful place. Examples of this could be outer space or the jungle. The key theme through listening to this style is most certainly relaxation, especially when one considers where this type of music is heard. It is perfect for an easygoing social setting.
While you will find that most songs in this style are without lyrics or vocals, especially in more recent times, you can also hear tracks from previous eras with singing in them. In fact, many a singer have attributed their beginning in the industry through lounge singing during the swing jazz period of the 1930s-40s. At this time, it was the singer and not the instrumental that was the focus.
Some of the best known singers from this period include the Rat Pack. Other popular vocalists during this period are Jackie Gleason, Louis Prima, Sam Butera and Sonny King. Many of the performers of this time were using music and songs from Burt Bacharach, who is a six-time Grammy Award winner and a three-time Academy Award winner. A lot of the artistes he collaborated with could be found performing in the casinos of Las Vegas.
In the nineteen nineties, Combustible Edison, Love Jones, The Cocktails and The High Llamas were just a few of many groups that revived the genre. In nineteen ninety-six, Capitol Records released an entire seris of Ultra-Lounge albums. The genre itself was very different to the other popular style at the time, known as grunge.
In the new millennium, musicians and singers have revamped the entire genre by combining strong elements of contrasting musical styles. An example of this would be Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine, who covered both metal and hip hop tunes but in the manner of a lounge singer. Nouvelle Vague, a band from Paris, did something similar where 80s post-punk tunes were redone.
There are club style settings where these instrumentals and songs can be heard. The locations are done in the style of a classy bar serving cocktails as opposed to the larger setting of an actual club with a separate dance floor where the music overpowers the environment. The idea behind such ultra-lounges is one of socializing on a more intimate level than in a club, with semi-private rooms and booths available for reservation and much more subdued tunes playing in the background.
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