Blues in the Community
“Pre-War Blues”
1900-1945
Dr. Will Williamson
Alona Williamson
a.k.a “Mosby Territory”
Sponsored by the DC Blues Society
www.dcblues.org
INTRO
“St. James Infirmary”
Overview
Discussing blues history with blues giant Jorma Kaukonen (Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna)
• Who we are:
– “Mosby Territory”
– Blues, Rock, Folk and Country
singer/songwriter duo
– www.MosbyTerritory.com
• What we will cover:
–
–
–
–
History
People
Instruments
Songs
Why “Pre-War” (before WW2) Blues?
• Two important changes occurred in the 1940’s
• Large scale migration of rural black population to
cities to work in wartime factories during World
War II
– Jazz-influenced blues became the “in” thing and
“country blues” was viewed as backwards
– More Musicians on your block
• Invention of the electric guitar
– Much more aggressive sounds
– Bass and guitar divided what was done on one guitar
in country blues and got more specialized
This led to more band-based blues than individuals / duos
ORIGINS OF THE BLUES
First Published Blues Song - 1912
Mamie Smith:
“Crazy Blues”
First recording by
African-American
First Recorded
Blues hit (1920)
Full Jazz Band
But did it start there?
European Influences
THE 1920’S
Prohibition and the roaring 20’s
• When was prohibition?? 1920—1931
• Blues in clubs and ‘speakeasies’
• Blues in house parties and rent parties
– “Blues on the Block”
• Single women in cities
– Modern Millie?
Women & The Blues
• Was Blues a Woman’s Genre?
– History in Black Community
– Perception in Jazz Recording
• Domestic violence
• New found “freedom”
• Lifestyle… (loose)
Bessie Smith:
“ Taint Nobody’s Business”
Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Victoria Spivey, Lucille
Brogan, Ethel Waters, Alberta Hunter:
Blind Blake
“ West Coast Blues” 1926
Bessie Smith:
“Nobody Knows You
When You’re Down and Out”
Collapse of recording industry in
1930’s
• Causes: Great Depression, Radio
• Effects:
– Many players “lost” not to be “rediscovered” until
1960’s
– Live music in small venues
– Radio and travelling musicians spread music out of
regional microcosms
COUNTRY BLUES
INSTRUMENTS
Percussion in Early Blues
• Drums were
outlawed…
Keeping it Simple:
The Diddley Bo to the Slide Guitar
Diddley Bo
Charlie Patton (c.1888 – 1934)
Bo Diddley
Son House (1902-1988)
“Walking Blues”
Blind Willie Johnson:
“Nobody’s Fault But Mine” 1927
More sophisticated Instruments
REGIONAL STYLES
Regional Blues Styles
See http://www.pbs.org/theblues/classroom/defgeography.html
Birthplace of Modern Blues:
The Mississippi “Delta” Region
A Life Filled with Blues:
Sharecropping in the Delta
“Mississippi County Farm Blues”,
Son House: 1930
Son House: 1902-1988
Ramblin’ on my Mind:
The Travelling Blues Singer
“Juke Joints”
Robert Johnson
(1911-1938)
“Crossroad Blues”
Robert Johnson:
“Kindhearted Woman”, 1936
Robert Johnson
(1911-1938)
Skip James:
“Devil’s Got My Woman” 1931
Mississippi John Hurt
“Lay My Burden Down”
Piedmont Blues
Elizabeth Cotton:
“Freight Train” 19xx
Gary Davis (1896-1972)
“I Heard the Angels Singing”
Texas Blues
Blind Willie Johnson
“Nobody’s Fault But Mine”
Blind Lemon Jefferson:
“Matchbox Blues” 1927
Lightning Hopkins:
“Come Back Baby” 1950’s
SETTING THE STAGE
FOR MODERN BLUES
Chicago Blues:
The Great Flood of 1927 & The Great Migration
Black Population 1990
Black Population 1900
Memphis Minnie:
“Bumble Bee”
Big Bill Broonzy:
“Pig Meat Strut/Hey Hey” 193x
Jug Bands and Ensembles
Racial Divisions
• Market segmentation by recording labels
• Musicians transcended these barriers but still
were constrained by markets
Hillbilly Blues – The Delmour Brothers:
“Big River Blues” 1933
Broadway and the Blues
George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”:
“Summertime” 1935
Folk Musicology in the 1940’s
Son House
Muddy Waters
Bukka White
Blind Willie McTell:
“Statesboro Blues”
McKinley Morganfield:
“Can’t Be Satisfied”, 1941
Catfish Blues a.k.a. Rolling Stone,
The Stars, the Almost Forgotten, and the Forgotten
And forgotten Bluesman Tom Toy…
BLUES IN OUR COMMUNITY TODAY
Blues on Your Block:
DC Blues Society – Free Jams
Electric Jam every 1st Sunday 4-8pm
Silver Spring, MD
Acoustic Jam every 4th Sunday 11 am – 2 pm
The Mansion at O Street, Washington DC
http://www.dcblues.org/
Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation
Acoustic Jam Every Saturday 1-6 pm
Riverdale, MD
http://www.acousticblues.com/
DCBS Annual Free Concert
Labor Day Weekend at
Carter Barron Amphitheater in Washington, DC
NEXT WEEKEND!!!!
26th Annual FREE DC Blues Festival
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Noon-7:30pm
http://www.dcblues.org/
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival
Annapolis, MD every May
Books & Videos: History
Books and Videos:
Learn to Play the Blues!
Take a Blues Vacation?
Or watch a video of
someone else’s trip…
Delta Blues Museum
Clarksdale, MS
John Hurt’s Cabin
Avalon MS
Bonnie Raitt / Chris Smither:
“Love Me / You Like a Man”
Blues in the Community
Slides are available at:
www.mosbyterritory.com
Dr. Will Williamson
Alona Williamson
Sponsored by the DC Blues Society
www.dcblues.org
BACKUP
Bukka White: “Aberdeen Blues”,
Mance Lipscomb:
“” 19xx
Lead Belly :
“Midnight Special” 19xx
Chicago Blues 2:
Electric Guitars and Big Bands
Gary Davis (1896-1972)
Extensive Recordings 1955-1966
Rev. Gary Davis
“I Heard the Angels Singing”
Blind Gary Davis
“Hesitation Blues”
Hillbilly Blues – Frank Hutchison:
“???” 192x
Mance Lipscomb:
“” 19xx
Oh, By the way…
Pink Anderson
Floyd Council
Nobody’s Fault But Mine
In My Time of Dying
Jesus Gonna Make Up
My Dying Bed
When The Levee Breaks
Keeping the Blues Alive:
Hot Tuna – Acoustic and Electric
1970
40 yrs Later
T-Bone Walker:
“Stormy Monday” 19xx