blues
Post on 11-May-2015
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Blues
A Romanticized Subject
Began to be Recognized End of 19thC.
Developed from Work Songs and (some say) Spirituals
Combined with Ragtime circa 1895 to Create Jazz
Blues Archeology
Blues Spread once it met the Music Business
1. 1902 Ma Rainey “Mother of the Blues” added Blues to her Minstrel Act
Blues Archeology
2. 1903 W. C. Handy “Father of the Blues”
First heard the blues (p. 18)
Blues Archeology
3. 1909 W. C. Handy writes“Memphis Blues”
(for mayoral race)
4. 1912 “Memphis Blues” is Published, others also publish Blues
5. 1916 First Recorded Blues
Blues Archeology
6. 1917 First Instrumental Blues Recorded, Original Dixieland Jass Band “Livery Stable Blues”
7. 1920 First African-American Recording of the Blues. Mamie Smith “Crazy Blues”
8. 1923(24) First Country Blues Recorded
Blues Styles in the 1920s
“Classic” City Blues and Country Blues
City Blues Recorded First
Country Blues developed First
“Classic” City Blues Form
12 Bars of Music
3 Basic Chords
Repetition of the First Vocal Line
“St. Louis Blues” Bessie Smith
The “Classic” Blues Formvocal line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..] instrumental answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .]
(chord 1)
|| — — — — || — — — — || — — — — || — — — — ||
repeat vocal line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ] instrumental answer . . . . . .. . . … . . .. … ]
(chord 2) (chord 1)
|| — — — — || — — — — || — — — — || — — — — ||
vocal line #2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . ] instrumental answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . ]
(chord 3) (chord 1)
|| — — — — || — — — — || — — — — || — — — — ||
“Back Water Blues” “Black Snake Moan”
City Blues
Is a Female Dominated Style
It was Professional Entertainment
Mamie Smith was a Theater Performer before she recorded “Crazy Blues” in 1920
Accompaniment by Piano and/or Jazz Band
Mamie Smith & Her Jazz Hounds
City Blues Singers
Ma Rainey “Mother of the Blues”
Bessie Smith “Empress of the Blues”
Country Blues
A Male Dominated Style
Self-Accompanied on Guitar
Used “Approximately” 12 Bars of Music
Performed at Smaller Gatherings, often by Itinerant Street Performers
“Match Box Blues” Blind Lemmon Jefferson
“Revenue Man Blues” Charlie Patton
Country Blues Singers
Blind Lemon Jefferson1st country blues whose records sold well Robert Johnson, Satanic Myth1930s, the end of the country blues trend. Major influence on British rockersLeadbellyDiscovered by Lomax, influenced the Greenwich Village Folk scene
Country Blues Styles
Mississippi Delta
Piedmont
Texas
Mississippi Delta Blues
Thought to be the oldest form
Bottle Neck Guitar Style
Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson (but)
Texas Blues
Use of single line melodies
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Leadbelly
Piedmont Blues
Atlanta & Southeast
• Closer to Ragtime Guitar
• Barbecue Bob (1927-8)
• Blind Boy Fuller (1930s)
Early 1930s
Country and City Blues Begin to Combine
LeRoy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell
• Male
• Piano Blues & Single Line Guitar
• Polished
• “Midnight Hour Blues”
1930s Blues
Kansas City Blues Shouter, jazz based
Joe Turner, Kansas City late 1930s. 1950s was considered a Rhythm & Blues singer
Blues Shouter style was adopted by rock singers
Blues 1940s Jump Bands
Jump Bands were scaled down swing bands
Extensive riffs
Louis Jordan, major hits in the 1940.
• 9 of the top 15 were Jordan’s (1946)
• Became model for Bill Haley (used the same record producer)
• “Choo Choo Ch-Boogie
Blues Late 1940s
• Chicago Blues
• Electrified Mississippi Delta Blues
• Used Bottle Neck Style Guitar
• Chess Records (Chess Brothers)
• Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield)
Blues: Muddy Waters
Born on Plantation
Recorded Country Blues 1941 for LOC
Moved to Chicago 1946
“Hard Day Blues”
Other Chicago (Detroit) Blues
Howlin’ Wolf• From the Delta• Memphis Radio Show
John Lee Hooker, Detroit• From the Delta• Step Father played w/Charlie Patton• “Boogie Chillun”
1940s Smooth Urban Blues
Jazzy & Relaxed
Usually Piano Based
Nat King Cole, piano/singer
Ray Charles began in this style
Electric Guitar Urban Blues
1940-1950
T-Bone Walker (Texas)
• 1st recorded electric guitar blues
B. B. King (Memphis)
• Copied T-Bone’s style
“B. B. Boogie”
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