What Is Lounge Music And Where To Find It
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 has a number of musical influences. Just a few of these influences include downtempo, swing, electronica, space age pop, polynesian and exotica. Jazz is a particularly important influence as this is where the genre actually originates. Latin styles such as bossa nova are also important in this genre. The instruments commonly used include the piano, guitar, drums and vibraphones, but also a lot of 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 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.
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.
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.
From the beginning of the twenty-first century, the genre has taken a different direction, with artistes combining a mixtures of styles, such as metal or even hip hop. Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine is one such example. In the same way, French band Nouvelle Vague used post-punk songs from the eighties as the starting point for their inspiration.
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.
This particular genre has a number of musical influences. Just a few of these influences include downtempo, swing, electronica, space age pop, polynesian and exotica. Jazz is a particularly important influence as this is where the genre actually originates. Latin styles such as bossa nova are also important in this genre. The instruments commonly used include the piano, guitar, drums and vibraphones, but also a lot of 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 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.
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.
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.
From the beginning of the twenty-first century, the genre has taken a different direction, with artistes combining a mixtures of styles, such as metal or even hip hop. Richard Cheese and Lounge Against The Machine is one such example. In the same way, French band Nouvelle Vague used post-punk songs from the eighties as the starting point for their inspiration.
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.