rhythm and blues
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rhythm and blues
pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) Abbr. R & B
A style of music developed by African Americans that combines blues and jazz, characterized by a strong backbeat and repeated variations on syncopated instrumental phrases.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
rhythm and blues
n
(Pop Music) (functioning as singular) any of various kinds of popular music derived from or influenced by the blues. Abbreviation: R & B
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
rhythm′ and blues′
n.
a folk-based form of black popular music forerunning rock.
[1945–50, Amer.]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
rhythm and blues
A very popular and wide-ranging style of music that emerged from traditional blues in the 1940s. R&B can be characterized by its use of blues chords played over a strong and consistent backbeat and by its emphasis on composition rather than the improvisation common in traditional blues. Hip hop, rap, soul, and disco are all categories of R&B and R&B also formed the foundation of rock and roll.
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| Noun | 1. | rhythm and blues - a combination of blues and jazz that was developed in the United States by Black musicians; an important precursor of rock 'n' roll African-American music, black music - music created by African-American musicians; early forms were songs that had a melodic line and a strong rhythmic beat with repeated choruses popular music, popular music genre - any genre of music having wide appeal (but usually only for a short time) |
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