Lecture notes for the Blues

1. 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

2. Blues Archeology
Blues Spread once it met
the Music Business
1. 1902 Ma Rainey
“Mother of the Blues”
added Blues to her
Minstrel Act

3. Blues Archeology
2. 1903 W. C. Handy “Father of the Blues”
First heard the blues (p. 18)

4. 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

5. 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

6. Blues Styles in the 1920s
“Classic” City Blues and Country Blues
City Blues Recorded First
Country Blues developed First

7. “Classic” City Blues Form
12 Bars of Music
3 Basic Chords
Repetition of the First Vocal Line
“St. Louis Blues” Bessie Smith

8. The “Classic” Blues Form
vocal 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”

9. 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

10. Mamie Smith & Her Jazz
Hounds

11. City Blues Singers
Ma Rainey “Mother of the Blues”
Bessie Smith “Empress of the Blues”

12. 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

13. Country Blues Singers
Blind Lemon Jefferson
1st country blues whose records sold well
Robert Johnson, Satanic Myth
1930s, the end of the country blues trend.
Major influence on British rockers
Leadbelly
Discovered by Lomax, influenced the
Greenwich Village Folk scene

14. Country Blues Styles
Mississippi Delta
Piedmont
Texas

15. Mississippi Delta Blues
Thought to be the oldest form
Bottle Neck Guitar Style
Charlie Patton, Robert Johnson (but)

16. Texas Blues
Use of single line melodies
Blind Lemon Jefferson
Leadbelly

17. Piedmont Blues
 Atlanta & Southeast
• Closer to Ragtime Guitar
• Barbecue Bob (1927-8)
• Blind Boy Fuller (1930s)

18. Early 1930s
Country and City Blues Begin to Combine
(Transitional)
LeRoy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell
• Male
• Piano Blues & Single Line Guitar
• Polished
• “Midnight Hour Blues”

19. 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

20. 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

21. Blues Late 1940s
• Chicago Blues
• Electrified Mississippi Delta Blues
• Used Bottle Neck Style Guitar
• Chess Records (Chess Brothers)
• Muddy Waters (McKinley Morganfield)

22. Blues: Muddy Waters
Born on Plantation
Recorded Country Blues 1941 for LOC
Moved to Chicago 1946
“Hard Day Blues”

23. 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”

24. 1940s Smooth Urban Blues
Jazzy & Relaxed
Usually Piano Based
Nat King Cole, piano/singer
Ray Charles began in this style

25. 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”