How it Came to be

Rhythm and Blues (R&B) came to be from the popular Blues back during the Harlem Renaissance. Some typical instruments of R&B include Drum kit, bass guitar, saxophone, horns, piano, organ, electric guitar, vocals, and background vocals. The term has changed meanings, but in the early 1950's it was applied to blues records. Robert Palmer defined Rhythm and Blues as "a catchall term referring to any music that was made by and for black Americans". When the Blues began to get a more insistent, heavy beat, it eventually turned into what is known as Rhythm and Blues.