1. The Blues Work Songs devised in the United States in the 1600’s
plantations and prisons
told a simple story
heavy accents
call-response
good work-song leaders were in demand

2. The Blues Time Line Country (or Rural) Blues: City Blues:
(most active period)
City Blues:
(most active period)
Rhythm and Blues:
present (most active period)
Rock and Roll:
1952/3 - present (most active period)

3. Country Blues blues is the root and foundation of jazz
country blues were developed at the same time as the work song
earliest blues songs were sung by itinerant male singers in the South and Southwest
informal, unrestrained, improvised
songs were basic:
sex
love
poverty
death

4. Country Blues
developed into a 12-measure (bar) format containing 3 equal phrases (ABA)
5 major characteristics of Country Blues
1. Unsophisticated lyrics and uncomplicated chords
2. Uses blue notes and personal inflection in the vocal line
3. Free from any traditional rhythmic restrictions
4. Relies on only a few harmonies per verse
5. Conveys a feeling of simplicity and personal identity

5. Blues Characteristics
Unsophisticated lyrics and uncomplicated chords
blue notes
bending notes away from their original pitch
based on African tonal scales
fundamental blues scale contains only 7 notes
singers also growl, slide, swallow the sound
freedom from traditional rhythmic restrictions
take many liberties with the rhythm
add or drop a beat
Free to sing as the lyrics move the singer

6. Blues Characteristics
pronounced harmonic and textural repetition
repetition gives the blues its solid structure
the three chords (I-IV-V) creates three equal phrases
1st phrase introduces a statement
2nd phrase repeats
3rd phrase answers the first two
three phrases combine to make one verse
feeling of simplicity and personal identity
vocal inflections (fills between phrases)
often called primitive or undeveloped
Technique still used by Ray Charles and B. B. King

7. “Hellhound on my Trail” Intro to Jazz disc 1 track 2
I got to keep movin’. Blues fallin’ down like hail.
I can’t keep no money with a hellhound on my trail.
If today was Christmas eve, and tomorrow Christmas day,
I would need my little sweet rider just to pass the time away.
You sprinkled hot-foot powder all around my door.
It keeps me with a ramblin’ mind, rider, every old place I go.
I can tell the wind is risin’, the leaves tremblin’ on the tree.
All I need is my little sweet woman to keep me company.

8. Robert Johnson 1912 (?)

9. Robert Johnson 1912 (?) - 1938 born in Copiah County, Mississippi
Mother: Julia Majors; Father: Noah Johnson
Mother already had 9 children by her husband, Charlie Dodds
known as Johnson, Dodds or Spencer
grew up near Robinsonville, Mississippi
attracted to blues musicians
played blues harp (harmonica)

10. Robert Johnson 1912 (?)
learned guitar in six months (bargain with devil?)
played “slide” (broken bottle)
teamed up with Johnny Shines for two years
1936; Earnie Oertle, American Record Company
five recording sessions - 29 blues masterpieces
received several hundred dollars
dies in 1938, poisoned, age 26

12. City Blues 12-bar format beginnings in minstrel and vaudeville shows
sung from a stage
accompanied by other performers
sung mostly by women
refined and sophisticated

13. Country Blues City Blues
Sparse, usually a single guitar
Quite free
Earthy, dwelling on hardships of the downtrodden
Undeveloped, but highly expressive
Several instruments and/or piano
Rigidly controlled by 12-bar structure
Sophisticated, mature observations on love, verses carefully constructed to fit rhythm and meter
Refined and carefully considered material

14. “St. Louis Blues” blues dialogue
a distant relative of call and response
Bessie Smith sings verse
Armstrong plays background and fills
vocal part is written out
fills are improvised
somewhat different than usual 12-bar blues
(AABC)
no rhythm instruments - no drums or bass

15. “St. Louis Blues” .00 Introduction of one chord
st chorus, 1st phrase: vocal
Cornet answers and continues as accompaniment, filling after each phrase
nd phrase: relaxed lay-back style
rd phrase: completes 12 measures; the fill is built on an expanding interval
nd chorus, 1st phrase: same melody, dialogue continues; the cornet helps define the harmony and supplies the rhythm between the vocal phrases
rd chorus, 1st phrase: new chord progression
nd phrase
rd phrase
th phrase: completes 16 measures
th chorus, 1st phrase: cornet harmonizes with the vocal part, voice becomes more aggressive, using a slight throat-growl effect
end

16. Bessie Smith (1894? )

17. Bessie Smith (1894? - 1937) born April 15, 1894 or 1898
discovered by Lonnie and Cora Fisher or Ma Rainey
made 160 phonograph records between
thought by John Hammond to have been the greatest American Jazz Artist John Hammond

18. Bessie Smith
(1894? )
father died when she was very young, mother when she was 9
sang on street corners to support the family
age 18 professional dancer
met Ma Rainey - the “Mother of the Blues”
moved from chorus to featured singer
vaudeville and minstrel for 11 years
booked by the Theater Owners’ Booking Association (TOBA)

19. Bessie Smith (1894? - 1937) first records produced by Frank Walker
Walker headed Columbia Records “race” department
recorded “Down-hearted Blues” and “Gulf Coast Blues” in sold 780,000 copies in 6 months
contract with Columbia for $20,000 per year
made $2500 per week for personal appearances
1923 married Jack Gee

20. Bessie Smith (1894? - 1937) 1928-1930 career on the downslide
economy
talking movies
blues not as popular
TOBA folded
voice deepened and roughened
1930 contract with Columbia cut in half
1931 dropped by Columbia
left Gee and moved in with Richard Morgan

21. Bessie Smith (1894? - 1937) easily converted to the new swing style
great back-up musicians
Jack Teagarden (trombone)
“Chu” Berry (saxophone)
Benny Goodman (clarinet)
died on Sept. 27, 1937 in Clarksdale, Miss. following a car accident
buried in an unmarked grave in Sharon Hill, Penn.
in 1970 a marker was placed (paid for by Janis Joplin, John Hammond and others)

22. Ma Rainey

23. Ma Rainey
born Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett in Columbus, GA
cabaret singer
husband, Pa Rainey, member of Rabbit Foot Minstrels
recorded for Paramount in 1923
one of the most popular city blues vocal stylists
no recordings after 1930
died in Rome, GA 1939

24. Ma Rainey

25. The Blues Continues interest began to decline in 1935
served as basis for
rhythm and blues (R & B) 1940’s
rock ‘n’ roll 1950’s
rock groups 1960’s and 1970’s
recent country western, fusion and contemporary gospel styles
Human misery continues to be the theme
boosted in the 1950’s and 1960’s by Chuck Berry and Fats Domino as well as The Drifters, Bill Haley, and Elvis

26. Muddy Waters

27. Muddy Waters 1915-1983 (McKinley Morganfield)
born in Rolling Fork, Miss. April 4, 1915
played harmonica and sang
discovered by Alan Lomax
first recordings for the Library of Congress and later for the Aristocrat label
his recording “Rollin’ Stone” inspired Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone” which led to the naming of the British rock group and the title of a periodical
not able to make the transition to pop

28. B. B. King

29. B. B. King 1925 - the musician who most influenced rock guitarists
Riley B. King (“Blues Boy”)
“Lucille”
cannot sing and play at the same time
call-response technique
most famous disciple is Eric Clapton
video