TEST 2 POPULAR MUSIC IN AMERICAN CULTURE
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ACCURATE
ANSWERS .
Benny Goodman - correct Answers -"King of Swing;" Chicago born jazz
clarinetist, whose tour of CA in 1935 launched his career; skilled improviser, astute businessman, strict
disciplinarian who insisted that his musicians play their parts with perfect precision
Fletcher Henderson - correct Answers -his band is widely credited with inspiring the rise
of swing; larger ensemble than most syncopated dance bands of the 1920s; expansion of the dance
band correlated with development of sound that was smoother, fuller sounding, and simpler than the
polyphonic, collectively improvised style of New Orleans jazz; call-and-response technique applied to
ensemble writing
Which fiddler from East Texas led the Texas Playboys in hits like "New San Antonio Rose?"
a. Bob Dylan
b. Ricky Bobby
c. William Bob
d. Bob Wills
e. Big Texas Bob - correct Answers -Bob Wills.
Which of the following was NOT associated with western swing?
a. The Texas Playboys
b. Call-and-response riffs
c. Instruments such as trumpets, saxophones, and the drum set
d. W. C. Handy
e. Southern string band music - correct Answers -W. C. Handy.
,Which of the following is true about Gene Autry's musical style?
. He was known as a singing cowboy and reached out to a broad audience with a deep baritone voice
b. He sang old-timey songs in a sincere, unaffected style with a pronounced southern twang
c. His highly syncopated piano playing often incorporated well-known popular tunes
d. He brought neatness and control to big-band jazz arrangements
e. None of the above is true about Gene Autry's musical style - correct Answers -He was known as a
singing cowboy and reached out to a broad audience with a deep baritone voice.
Which Spanish-born violinist, film star, and bandleader was known as the "Rhumba King" and did the
most to popularize Latin music during the swing era?
Bing Crosby
b. Xavier Cugat
c. Benny Goodman
d. Maybelle Carter
e. James Reese Europe - correct Answers -Xavier Cugat
For which of the following was Mario Bauza known?
a Flashy guitar solos
b. Swing-era vocal harmonies
c. Pioneering use of the Dobro
d. Frequent appearances in feature films as singing cowboys
e. Introducing authentic Afro-Cuban music into the United States - correct Answers -Introducing
authentic Afro-Cuban music into the United States.
Walter Page (bass), Jo Jones (drums), and Freddie Green (guitar) formed the hard-swinging nucleus of
which Kansas City-based big band?
a. Count Basie Orchestra
b. Love Unlimited Orchestra
c. Europe's Society Orchestra
d. Duke Ellington Orchestra
, e. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys - correct Answers -Count Basie Orchestra
Which of the following contributed to the decline of the big bands in the mid to late 1940s?
a. A number of well-known musician were killed in World War II, including Glenn Miller
b. Shifts in popular music taste
c. Shortages in gas and vehicles, which made it difficult for the bands to travel to engagements
d. A bitter feud between ASCAP and the four big radio networks
e. All of the above - correct Answers -all of the above
Which of the following is true about the Music Corporation of America (MCA)?
a. Music Corporation of America was a western swing band that toured Texas and California in the 1930s
b. Music Corporation of America was a radio program broadcast on WSM that expanded the audience
for country music in the 1930s
c. Music Corporation of America was a record label that promoted swing artists like Gene Krupa and
Chick Webb
d. "Music Corporation of America" was a hit song by the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1939
e. Music Corporation of America rose to become the dominant booking agency for big dance bands in
the 1930s - correct Answers -Music Corporation of America rose to become the dominant booking
agency for big dance bands in the 1930s.
Which of the following is true about the song "In the Mood"?
a. The song was recorded by Roy Acuff and portrays the church as an embattled group of individuals
b. The song features vocal harmonies inspired by African American singing traditions
c. The song highlights Charlie Patton's rough, heavy voice, which was typical of the Delta blues
d. The song was recorded in 1939 by the Glenn Miller Orchestra
e. None of the above - correct Answers -The song was recorded in 1939 by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Which big band got its first big break in 1934 on the radio program "Let's Dance," which was sponsored
by the National Biscuit Company?
a. Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
EXAM QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ACCURATE
ANSWERS .
Benny Goodman - correct Answers -"King of Swing;" Chicago born jazz
clarinetist, whose tour of CA in 1935 launched his career; skilled improviser, astute businessman, strict
disciplinarian who insisted that his musicians play their parts with perfect precision
Fletcher Henderson - correct Answers -his band is widely credited with inspiring the rise
of swing; larger ensemble than most syncopated dance bands of the 1920s; expansion of the dance
band correlated with development of sound that was smoother, fuller sounding, and simpler than the
polyphonic, collectively improvised style of New Orleans jazz; call-and-response technique applied to
ensemble writing
Which fiddler from East Texas led the Texas Playboys in hits like "New San Antonio Rose?"
a. Bob Dylan
b. Ricky Bobby
c. William Bob
d. Bob Wills
e. Big Texas Bob - correct Answers -Bob Wills.
Which of the following was NOT associated with western swing?
a. The Texas Playboys
b. Call-and-response riffs
c. Instruments such as trumpets, saxophones, and the drum set
d. W. C. Handy
e. Southern string band music - correct Answers -W. C. Handy.
,Which of the following is true about Gene Autry's musical style?
. He was known as a singing cowboy and reached out to a broad audience with a deep baritone voice
b. He sang old-timey songs in a sincere, unaffected style with a pronounced southern twang
c. His highly syncopated piano playing often incorporated well-known popular tunes
d. He brought neatness and control to big-band jazz arrangements
e. None of the above is true about Gene Autry's musical style - correct Answers -He was known as a
singing cowboy and reached out to a broad audience with a deep baritone voice.
Which Spanish-born violinist, film star, and bandleader was known as the "Rhumba King" and did the
most to popularize Latin music during the swing era?
Bing Crosby
b. Xavier Cugat
c. Benny Goodman
d. Maybelle Carter
e. James Reese Europe - correct Answers -Xavier Cugat
For which of the following was Mario Bauza known?
a Flashy guitar solos
b. Swing-era vocal harmonies
c. Pioneering use of the Dobro
d. Frequent appearances in feature films as singing cowboys
e. Introducing authentic Afro-Cuban music into the United States - correct Answers -Introducing
authentic Afro-Cuban music into the United States.
Walter Page (bass), Jo Jones (drums), and Freddie Green (guitar) formed the hard-swinging nucleus of
which Kansas City-based big band?
a. Count Basie Orchestra
b. Love Unlimited Orchestra
c. Europe's Society Orchestra
d. Duke Ellington Orchestra
, e. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys - correct Answers -Count Basie Orchestra
Which of the following contributed to the decline of the big bands in the mid to late 1940s?
a. A number of well-known musician were killed in World War II, including Glenn Miller
b. Shifts in popular music taste
c. Shortages in gas and vehicles, which made it difficult for the bands to travel to engagements
d. A bitter feud between ASCAP and the four big radio networks
e. All of the above - correct Answers -all of the above
Which of the following is true about the Music Corporation of America (MCA)?
a. Music Corporation of America was a western swing band that toured Texas and California in the 1930s
b. Music Corporation of America was a radio program broadcast on WSM that expanded the audience
for country music in the 1930s
c. Music Corporation of America was a record label that promoted swing artists like Gene Krupa and
Chick Webb
d. "Music Corporation of America" was a hit song by the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1939
e. Music Corporation of America rose to become the dominant booking agency for big dance bands in
the 1930s - correct Answers -Music Corporation of America rose to become the dominant booking
agency for big dance bands in the 1930s.
Which of the following is true about the song "In the Mood"?
a. The song was recorded by Roy Acuff and portrays the church as an embattled group of individuals
b. The song features vocal harmonies inspired by African American singing traditions
c. The song highlights Charlie Patton's rough, heavy voice, which was typical of the Delta blues
d. The song was recorded in 1939 by the Glenn Miller Orchestra
e. None of the above - correct Answers -The song was recorded in 1939 by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Which big band got its first big break in 1934 on the radio program "Let's Dance," which was sponsored
by the National Biscuit Company?
a. Benny Goodman and His Orchestra
