Race Records and Hillbilly Music Race Records and

Race Records and Hillbilly Music

Mamie Smith (1883– 1946) • “Queen of the Blues” • Vaudeville performer • “Crazy Blues” (1920)

Race Records • Ralph Peer (1892— 1960) ▫ Okeh Records • The performances released on race records included a variety of musical styles: ▫ ▫ ▫ blues Jazz gospel choirs vocal quartets string bands jug-and-washboard bands • Verbal performances ▫ sermons ▫ stories ▫ comic routines

The Blues • As a feeling • As a style (genre) of singing or playing • As a musical form: ▫ 12 bar chorus ▫ a chord progression of I, IV, and V chords ▫ AAB text (4 + 4 measures) A 1 I A 2 3 4 5 IV B 6 7 I 8 9 10 11 12 V IV I I

Text of a Blues Song • Rhymed couplets • The text is usually AAB ▫ take W. C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues” for example: A: I hate to see the eve-nin’ sun go down (4 bars) B: It makes me think I’m on my last go-round (4 bars)

Form of a Blues Song • Melodic form (AAB text) • Metrical form (12 4 -beat bars) • Harmonic form (I, IV, V chords)

Classic Blues • • Alberta Hunter (1895— 1984) Ethel Waters (1896— 1977) Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (1886— 1939) Bessie Smith (1894— 1937)

Bessie Smith (1894– 1937) • • “Empress of the Blues” Columbia’s race records ▫ e. g. , “St. Louis Blues”

W. C. Handy (1873– 1958) • • “Father of the Blues” Co-founder ▫ Black-owned publishing house • Biggest hit: ▫ “St. Louis Blues” (1914)

Listening: “St. Louis Blues”(1925) • A ▫ ▫ ▫ • B ▫ ▫ • C ▫ a. I hate to see the eve-nin’ sun go down b. It makes me think I’m on my last go-round a. Feelin’ tomorrow like I feel today b. I pack my (? ) and make my getaway a. b. St. Louis woman… Pulls my man around… Wasn’t for powder… The man I love… a. I got them St. Louis blues…