Early 20th Century
Blues

The Blues
o Originated in the deep ______________

Oppressive ______________

Having the “__________” – feeling __________, depressed,
etc.
o Emerged around ______________
o Poetry about _______________

_______ Lines , 1st 2nd repeat

Rhyming _______________
o Since most of black ________________ lived in _____________ at the
time
o Music is already an ______________ part of the Black / African
______________


_________________, praise, community, etc.
Musical Form
o Broken into 12 “_____________”

Bars: ____________ unit of time
o Three ____________ are used in the entire ___________
o

“Blue” _________
Classic (City) Blues Style
o Popularized by ____________ singers
o Popular among blacks who moved into the
________________- they wanted ___________________
o The market for the ____________________ blues was almost
entirely ______________ during the 1920s and 1930s
o Records became known as "__________ records.“

The Race Records
o Record industry went two ways for ________________

Record “black” music – sell to __________ market

Record “black” music – sell to __________ market
o “__________ records” was not a _____________________ term
o It is just a ___________ of music that developed in the 20th
century.
o In fact – many black musicians took ___________ in the term
– sign of ___________________/heritage

St. Louis Blues Style
o Song sung by Bessie __________________
o _____________ are a typical “_________” (depressing) subject
o Love gone wrong – escape into __________________
o Sings the song once through – nothing ____________
o “______________________” quality to her voice – draws out
notes to evoke _______________________

Country Blues Style
o As the classic blues decreased in popularity,
__________________ blues singers were on the rise
o Record companies made trips into the ________________ in
search of talented __________________ singers
o Record representatives recorded artists either with their
______________ recording unit or arranged for them to travel
_________________ to Chicago or ____________________ to
record.

“Blind Lemon Jefferson”
o One of the most popular blues singers in the _______
o ______________ Blues Star
o “Father of ____________ Blues”
o Known for his high-pitched voice and ____________ playing
Robert Johnson
1911-1938
Mississippi ___________ Blues
Poorly documented __________
Recognized for his talents only after he died
Influenced MANY _______________________________ after him –
including those that had a hand in creating rock and roll
Made a deal with the ______________?