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.
This particular genre boasts a number of musical inspirations. Electronica, swing, space age pop and downtempo are just a few of the origins of this style. Simultaneously, the genre borrows from cultural styles, such as polynesian, bossa nova and exotica. However, jazz is the predominant origin of this type of music. You will hear key instruments when listening; these include ethnic percussion, drums, the piano, the guitar and also vibraphones.
The notion behind this genre is to feel a sense of being somewhere tranquil and mellow. This could be the jungle or outer space. The idea when listening to this genre is definitely one of relaxation, which is understandable considering the locations in which it can be predominantly heard. It is a great way of facilitating an easy social atmosphere.
While most of the genre is instrumental in nature, especially when it comes to the more modern examples, there are indeed a number of singers who attribute their success to their beginnings as lounge singers. In the swinging thirties and forties, known at the swing jazz era, this style was prevalent. However, during this time, the singers were more highly regarded than the sound itself.
The Rat Pack, comprised of Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, were key figure at this time. Other known singers from the era include Sonny King, Jackie Gleason, Sam Butera and Louis Prima. Burt Bacharach was a musician, producer and songwriter who provided much of the music that these artistes would perform to. He is both a multiple Grammy and Academy Award winner. Most of the singers of this time were found in the casinos of Las Vegas.
There was another revival of the genre at the end of the twentieth century. Groups like Love Jones, The High Llamas, Combustible Edison and The Cocktails ruled the final decade. In the mid-nineties, the company Capitol Records was responsible for issuing an Ultra-Lounge album series. The entire musical style was in stark contrast to the other most popular style of the nineties, known as grunge.
At the turn of the century, the genre was again spun to create new sounds by using a combination of musical styles. Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine did a number of covers of hip hop and metal tracks in the style of lounge singers. Similarly, Nouvelle Vague, a French group from Paris, used eighties post-punk tracks as the basis of their creativity.
Ultra-lounges are like nightclubs, however the layout is more like that of a cocktail bar than one where you would find a dance floor separate to the drinking area. It is a more relaxed social setting, where there is not so much musical noise; it is much more subdued than in the average nightclub. Furthermore, in these places, you can socialize more intimately through use of their semi-private rooms.
This particular genre boasts a number of musical inspirations. Electronica, swing, space age pop and downtempo are just a few of the origins of this style. Simultaneously, the genre borrows from cultural styles, such as polynesian, bossa nova and exotica. However, jazz is the predominant origin of this type of music. You will hear key instruments when listening; these include ethnic percussion, drums, the piano, the guitar and also vibraphones.
The notion behind this genre is to feel a sense of being somewhere tranquil and mellow. This could be the jungle or outer space. The idea when listening to this genre is definitely one of relaxation, which is understandable considering the locations in which it can be predominantly heard. It is a great way of facilitating an easy social atmosphere.
While most of the genre is instrumental in nature, especially when it comes to the more modern examples, there are indeed a number of singers who attribute their success to their beginnings as lounge singers. In the swinging thirties and forties, known at the swing jazz era, this style was prevalent. However, during this time, the singers were more highly regarded than the sound itself.
The Rat Pack, comprised of Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, were key figure at this time. Other known singers from the era include Sonny King, Jackie Gleason, Sam Butera and Louis Prima. Burt Bacharach was a musician, producer and songwriter who provided much of the music that these artistes would perform to. He is both a multiple Grammy and Academy Award winner. Most of the singers of this time were found in the casinos of Las Vegas.
There was another revival of the genre at the end of the twentieth century. Groups like Love Jones, The High Llamas, Combustible Edison and The Cocktails ruled the final decade. In the mid-nineties, the company Capitol Records was responsible for issuing an Ultra-Lounge album series. The entire musical style was in stark contrast to the other most popular style of the nineties, known as grunge.
At the turn of the century, the genre was again spun to create new sounds by using a combination of musical styles. Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine did a number of covers of hip hop and metal tracks in the style of lounge singers. Similarly, Nouvelle Vague, a French group from Paris, used eighties post-punk tracks as the basis of their creativity.
Ultra-lounges are like nightclubs, however the layout is more like that of a cocktail bar than one where you would find a dance floor separate to the drinking area. It is a more relaxed social setting, where there is not so much musical noise; it is much more subdued than in the average nightclub. Furthermore, in these places, you can socialize more intimately through use of their semi-private rooms.
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