Swing in "Blue Moon of Kentucky"

Link to "Blue Moon of Kentucky":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAVFpThoeb4

"Blue Moon of Kentucky" was released by Bill Monroe in 1946, making it one of is earlier releases. This song, though exhibiting many elements of jazz, features one of the most easily recognizable ones: swing.

The style of swing can be used for many purposes. Fast swing can drive the music forward and give it an urgency, while slower swing can make the music seem even more laid back, or even accentuate nostalgia created by a minor key. In "Blue Moon of Kentucky", the use of swing gives this slower song a sort of motion that contrasts with its slower melody.

Just like the other elements of jazz that are shared with bluegrass music, swing, in the most simple explanation, just gives the artist more freedom and allows more creative ways for emotion to be expressed. Because both genres have underlying tumultuous historic tones, both genres feature stylistic elements that strive to contrast the tension that one can create with the inner peace that one seeks through times of hardship.