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

The Blues

The Blues Time Line Country (or Rural) Blues:

– 1890 - 1930 (most active period)

City Blues:– 1912 - 1941 (most active period)

Rhythm and Blues:– 1948 - present (most active period)

Rock and Roll:– 1952/3 - present (most active period)

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

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

Country BluesCountry Blues

– 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

Blues CharacteristicsBlues 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

Blues CharacteristicsBlues Characteristics

“Hellhound on my Trail”Intro to Jazz disc 1 track 2

I got to keep movin’. Blues fallin’ down like hail. 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, 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. 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. 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.

Robert Johnson

1912 (?) - 1938

Robert Johnson

1912 (?) - 1938

Robert Johnson1912 (?) - 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)

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

Robert Johnson1912 (?) - 1938Robert Johnson1912 (?) - 1938

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

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

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

– 12 - 12 - 16 - 12 (AABC)

no rhythm instruments - no drums or bass

“St. Louis Blues”

.00 Introduction of one chord .05 1st chorus, 1st phrase: vocal .15 Cornet answers and continues as accompaniment, filling after

each phrase .20 2nd phrase: relaxed lay-back style .35 3rd phrase: completes 12 measures; the fill is built on an

expanding interval .50 2nd chorus, 1st phrase: same melody, dialogue continues; the

cornet helps define the harmony and supplies the rhythm between the vocal phrases

1.32 3rd chorus, 1st phrase: new chord progression 1.46 2nd phrase 2.00 3rd phrase 2.14 4th phrase: completes 16 measures 2.36 4th chorus, 1st phrase: cornet harmonizes with the vocal part,

voice becomes more aggressive, using a slight throat-growl effect 3.05 end

“St. Louis Blues”

Bessie Smith (1894? - 1937)

Bessie Smith (1894? - 1937)

born April 15, 1894 or 1898 discovered by Lonnie and Cora Fisher or Ma

Rainey made 160 phonograph records between 1923

- 1933 thought by John Hammond

to have been the greatest American Jazz Artist

John Hammond

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)

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 1923 - 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

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

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)

Bessie Smith (1894? - 1937)

Ma Rainey 1886 - 1939

Ma Rainey 1886 - 1939

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

Ma Rainey

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

Muddy Waters

1915-1983

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

B. B. King 1925 -

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