Sonny's Blues

1. The setting takes place in Harlem, New York before the the Civil Rights Movement period. African Americans began to come in from downtown, from the South, and from the West Indies. There are four Harlem's: Black, Spanish, Jewish, and Italian. By the 1930's half a million people came into Harlem, one of the largest slums of New York. 

www.thehistorybox.com/ny_city/harlem_nycity.htm

Sonny was younger than his brother and his character is portrayed as someone who is lost and wants to find meaning. Sonny always wanted to get out of Harlem because of the drugs and because it is a deadbeat area. Growing up in Harlem, Sonny was probably street smart but mentally weak because he never completed school and held no job nor had a place of his own. Sonny believed running away from Harlem would solve his problems but in the end he ended up back in Harlem in pursuit for music and lived with members of his bandstand.

2. During the Revolutionary War, black men and women served in a variety of capacities for the Continental and British armies. Proportionally, more African Americans supported the British because they promised freedom to those who fled rebel slaveholders. In 1775, Lord Dunmore issued a proclamation in Virginia with such a promise and formed a black regiment of British soldiers. For these soldiers, the Revolutionary War was as much a war for liberation as it was for the American colonists rebelling against England. However, the British military was not always so magnanimous. More often they used blacks as workers to perform menial labor such as building roads and serving officers. Still, in places like New York, black men and women were used as spies for the British and sabotage rebellious cities. Moreover, they created networks to help enslaved men and women to escape to New York City which was occupied by the British. Many of these former slaves, known as the Black Loyalists would migrate to Nova Scotia and the Caribbean and become prominent leaders in the emerging freed black communities.

In New England, states such as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island employed African Americans in the militia and the Continental Army. Promised freedom for their service, many served in regiments that were interracial. However, Rhode Island raised one of the few predominantly black regiments that fought for American Independence. Although the state legislature approved the measure because the state badly needed men to fight, the black soldiers fought valiantly when given the opportunity to fight for their freedom. As one white soldier remembered, the African American soldiers, known as the Rhode Island Line, played a critical role in the battle of Rhode Island, protecting a key flank which prevented the British from overwhelming the Continental Army. The spirit of the Revolution coupled with black military service inspired a wave of manumission laws that ultimately sealed the fate of slavery in the northern states. Some of these veterans would eventually become leaders in abolition movements throughout the north. While it is still unclear whether blacks served in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, our best understanding of African American military service in the ninetheenth century come from the records of the American Civil War.

www.coloradocollege.edu/Dept/HY/HY243Ruiz/Research/military.html

Sonny wanted to enlist in the military because it was a way out of Harlem, New York and because he had felt bad about the wrongs he had done in his life and it was a fresh start for him. His brother did not agree to this because he wanted nothing but the best for Sonny and he wanted to protect him like an older brother and like his mother had asked him to. Blacks were never treated well in the military and for Sonny to enlist would bring more hardship in his life when Sonny is really looking for happiness.

3. Billie Holiday- "They Cant Take That Away From Me"

The way you wear your hat;
The way you sip your tea;
The memory of all that.
No, no, they can't take that away from me.

The way your smile just beams;
The way you sing off key;
The way you haunt my dreams.
No, no, they can't take that away from me.

We may never, never meet again
On on the bumpy road to love.
Still I'll always, always keep the memory of

The way you hold your knife;
The way we danced 'til three;
The way you've changed my life.
No, no, they can't take that away from me.

The way you wear your hat;
The way you sip your tea;
The memory of all that.
No, no, they can't take that away from me.

The way your smile just beams;
The way you sing off key;
The way you haunt my dreams.
No, no, they can't take that away from me.

We may never, never meet again
On on the bumpy road to love.
Still I'll always, always keep the memory of

The way you hold your knife;
The way we danced 'til three;
The way you've changed my life.
No, no, they can't take that away from me.
No, they can't take that away from me. www.stlyrics.com/songs/b/billieholiday525/theycanttakethatawayfromme23382.html

Sonny's love for music and the time and dedication he spends practicing and playing is almost related to the way this song is written because no one can take away his music and his love for it. 

4. Bebop (1940's-1950's)

Bebop emerged in the 1940s a as a style of jazz in great contrast to the music of the big bands. It featured a small group of musicians -- four to six players -- rather than the 10 or more associated with the big bands. The smaller size allowed more solo opportunities for the players. The music itself was characterized by more complex melodies and chord progressions, as well as more emphasis on the role the rhythm section. Furthermore, phrases within the music were often irregular in length, making bebop interesting to listen to, but in contrast to music of the big bands, unsuitable for dancing.

www.hypermusic.ca/jazz/bop.html

Sonny prefers the Bebop style because he enjoys good rhythm and the music has to do with more complex melodies and chord progressions. The style of Bebop consists of smaller size bands than the larger ones where there are more solo opportunities. The music was a way to express their feelings and it symbolized pride upon the African American people. It can be said this helped with the social movement for Blacks because it brought communities together to listen rather than dance to.