A Description Of Lounge Music And Where It Can Be Heard

By Patty Goff


Throughout the nineteen fifties and sixties, a style of music became prevalent that had first appeared on the musical scene about thirty years prior. Lounge music is defined as a chillout, easy listening style. It is a very mellow form that is most likely to be heard at hotels, such as in their bars or lounges, or at casinos.

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 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.

Singers from this time include Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. And Dean Martin, also known as the Rat Pack. Some other vocalists from this era are Louis Prima, Sonny King, Sam Butera and Jackie Gleason. Many of these artistes performed to the music of songwriter and producer Burt Bacharach, who has won six Grammys and three Academy Awards. The artistes he worked with performed mostly in Las Vegas casinos at the time.

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.

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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