Ok.
When there is no real evidence, people who talk about Georgia blues simply make assumptions.
If Mad man walkers strummings were the origins of Georgia blues, then where is the evidence of different types of chords now "evolving" into other types? Where is the evidence of rock, jazz, and R & B gradually turning into something else? We do see changes within music types, but we do not see any changes into other music genres. And, as mentioned, we see no evidence of gradual change in the records either. Yet Blues afficianados continue to assume that transitional forms must have existed.
In Bubba's landmark book On the Origin of the Blues there are some 800 subjective clauses, with uncertainty repeatedly admitted instead of proof. Words such as "could," "perhaps" and "possibly" plague the entire book.
Blues is still called a genre—a possible explanation or assumption—because it is not testable according to the scientific method, as this would require thousands or millions of years. Blues afficionados will counter that a theory is not a mere hypothesis but is a widely affirmed intellectual construct that generally appears to fit all the facts. Yet blues in no way fits all the facts available. Evidence does not support it—and in many respects runs counter to it.
Blues Music: Overview
Original entry by
Ian Hill, University of Georgia,
09/27/2004
Last edited by NGE Staff on 10/13/2014
Explore This Article
Contents
Early Performers
Chicago Blues
Blues Revival
The blues is a blending of African and European traditional music"Blind Willie" McTell
characterized by its melancholy (or blue) notes expressing suffering and deprivation. Songs are typically structured in three-line verses, with the third line summing up, or rephrasing, the sentiment expressed in the first two. Beginning in the nineteenth century, blues music developed throughout the southern United States from slave work songs and field hollers. Later, southern prisoners in jail and on chain gangs added songs of murder, death row, and their treatment at the hands of the wardens. In 1839 one of the earliest known references to slave music that would evolve into the blues was do ented on a Georgia rice plantation by an English traveler.
Early Performers
Georgia has produced a richMajor "Big Maceo" Merriweather
blues heritage that showcases a variety of performance styles, from such popular commercial recording artists as Ray Charles from Albany, Little Richard from Macon, and Robert Cray of Columbus to more obscure players like Blind Simmie Dooley from Hartwell and Dolphus "Gus" Gibson from Fort Valley.
Little is known about the earliest forms of the music, but Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, a native of Columbus, claims to have sung blues in front of live vaudeville audiences at the age of sixteen (around 1900), which may make her the first professional female blues performer. Before relocating to Chicago, Rainey performed at the 81 Theater in Atlanta, where she influenced the teenaged Bessie Smith. Also in the early years of the century, Atlanta's Decatur Street had a thriving music scene populated by barrelhouse blues pianists like Thomas Andrew "Georgia Tom" Dorsey from Villa Rica, Big Maceo Merriweather from Atlanta, and Willie Lee "Piano Red" Perryman from Hampton. (The term barrelhouse was used to describe a loud percussive type of blues piano suitable for noisy bars or taverns.)
FromRobert "Barbecue Bob" Hicks
the mid-1920s into the early 1930s, "artist and repertoire" (known as A&R) staff scoured the South and northern cities in search of talent for the race-record subsidiaries of major record companies, and in Atlanta they recorded a distinct style of country blues performers. The use of twelve-string guitars, more strumming than picking, irregular rhythms, and a nasal vocal technique typified the Atlanta sound, as performed by brothers Robert "Barbecue Bob" Hicks from Walnut Grove and Charlie "Lincoln" Hicks from Lithonia.
Eugene "Buddy" Moss
The influence of the intricately finger-picked Piedmont style of country blues also appeared in Georgia with Eugene "Buddy" Moss from Jewell and Joshua Barnes "Peg Leg" Howell from Eatonton, who maintained one of the most successful early blues recording careers into the 1930s. "Blind Willie" McTell from Thomson, another country blues singer active from the 1920s, played in Atlanta until shortly before his death sometime in the late 1950s, and like many "songsters" of the day, he incorporated a wide variety of popular song styles in his repertoire. A longtime resident of the city, McTell often played on the street outside of the Pig 'n' Whistle barbecue stands and collaborated with the Hicks brothers, Buddy Moss, Curley Weaver from Covington, and Piano Red.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The very first "country blues" was recorded in 1924 by Georgia's Ed Andrews. He recorded but one record.
So as far as recorded Georgia blues goes ya start with Ma Rainey and Ed Andrews.
A ORIGINS OF GEORGIA BLUES CD would look like this.
Ma Rainey
Ed Andrews
Slim Barton & Eddie Mapp
Emery Glen
Barbecue Bob
Charlie Lincoln (actually the brother of Barbecue Bob, The Hicks Brothers)
Georgia Tom Dorsey....who became the father of Gospel music.
Curley Weaver
Kokomo Arnold
Fred McMullen
Williams & Anthony
Pegleg Howell
Sloppy Henry
Emmett Miller...white cat who perfrormed in blackface
Ruth Willis
Blind Wilie McTell
Ruby Glaze
Bumblebee Slim
Buddy Moss
Big Maceo didn't record until 1941, that's a little late.
Georgia blues does sometimes get put in with them Piedmont blues, that being the Carolina's, Kentucky and the Virginia's.
So ya take those I listed above and add....
Piink Anderson
Floyd Council
Josh White
Tarter & Gay
Blind Willie Walker
Blind Blake
Julius Daneils
Blind Boy Fuller
Blind Gary Davis
William Moore
Carl Martin
Brownie McGee
Bull City Red
Richard Thrice
Sonny Terry
and ya have it pretty much covered as far as Georgia/East Coast goes if talking black blues.
Then there's that ...high and lonesome...sound, that being white hillbillie blues.
Here we find....
Dock Boggs
B.F.Shelton
Clarence Ashley....the first to record "House of the Rising Sun"
Bayless Rose
John Hammond
The Skillet Lickers
Justice
Charlie Poole
Frank Hutchison
Blind Alfred Reed
Emry Arthur...the first to record "I'm A Man Of Contant Sorrow"
Earl Johnson
Ernest Stoneman
Asa Martin
The Callahan Brothers
Hillbillie
Georgia
Last edited by Avante; 06-24-2015 at 07:42 PM.
The must listens if talking prewar blues (pre 1941)
No particular order
How Long How Long... Leroy Carr
St. Louis Blues...Bessie Smith
Mississippi Jailhouse Groan...Rude Lacy
Jonestown....Cannon Jug Stompers
Travelin' Blues....Ma Rainey
Crossroad Blues...Robert Johnson
Black Snake Moan..Blind Lemon Jefferson
James Alley....Rabbit Brown
Hoodoo Blues...Memphis Minnie
High Water Everywhere...Charley Patton
Postwar blues....
Rolling Stone...Muddy Waters*********
Crawling Kingsnake...John Lee Hooker
Three 0'Clock Blues...Lowell Fulson
Sky is Crying...Elmore James
o Central Please Give Me 209...Lightnin' Hopkins
Big Boss Man...Jimmy Reed
Stormy Monday...T-Bone Walker
Driftin' Blues...Charles Brown
Little Red Rooster....Howlin' Wolf
I;d Rather Go Blind...Etta James
****** Muddy Waters was first recorded right there on his front porch at Stovall Plantation in Mis issippi in 1941, the cat
who recorded him was named Alan Lomax. He was looking for Robert Johnson not knowing he had been murdered in 1938.
These recording are truly amazing, Muddy is there with some buddies who can all play something, legendary recordings.
Last edited by Avante; 06-24-2015 at 09:12 PM.
Early Texas blues starts in 1926 with those Blind Lemon Jefferson recordings. If putting together an early Texas blues listen, it's...
Jefferson
Henry Thomas one of the oldest to ever record, he was born around 1888.
Ramblin' Thomas
Bessie Tucker
Hattie Hudson
Little Hat Jones
Funny Papa Smith
Victoria Spivey
Texas Alexander
"Whistlin' " Alex Moore
Bobbie Cadillac
Joe Pullum
Black Ivory King
Sippie Wallace
Coley Jones
Willie Reed
The Black Ace
Black Boy Shine
Jack Ranger
Lead Belly
Bo Jones
It appears a lot of the Louisiana blues cats played across the border as did the Texans. Lead Belly the perfect example, he was from Louisiana.
The Louisiana cats...
Oscar Woods
Jesse Thomas
Blind Willie Reynolds...his "Outside Woman Blues" been covered by a few rock bands.
King Solomon Hill
Ed Schaeffer
King Solomon Hill one of the unique sounds.
Last edited by Avante; 06-25-2015 at 01:16 AM.
As rare as any record in the world, only one copy in existence. It's on the Black Pattie label, the first all black label to sell records. It didn't work so they only had a few records so any BLACK PATTI record is very $$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
A true classic
While they tried to sell Original Stack O'Lee Blues, it wasn't. Ma Rainey recorded a little different version but...Stack O' Lee Blues a year earlier.
While that above record was recorded in 1927, and most know nothing about it or Ma Rainey's version. This is the version not so obscure.
My fav version.
Last edited by Avante; 06-25-2015 at 02:01 AM.
Keeping a flo....
Elvis's first tune was "That's Alrigt Mama" a tune he stold from Mississipi blues man Big Boy Crudup, that above tune is another Big Boy Crudup tune, this was one of his first in 1941.
Last edited by Avante; 06-25-2015 at 03:12 AM.
Big Boy Crudup
Big Bill Broonzy
Big Joe Wiliams
One of the (if not THE) most covered of all old blues tunes.
Last edited by Avante; 06-25-2015 at 03:33 AM.
Van Morrison does a great version of Baby Please Don't Go, many versions of it.
Remember this Boz Scaggs classic.......(the great Duane Allman on guitar)
...here's where he found it.
Last edited by Avante; 06-25-2015 at 03:44 AM.
Hard to beat the Memphis Jug Band especially when they had Hattie Hart with them.
This is about as good as them old blues gets.
Staying on Beale Street
Hammie Nixon the harmonica player here and Noah Lewis that cat holding the harmonica for the Cannon Jug Stomper along with the original Sonny Boy Williamson the guys I learned to play harmonica from trying to mimic their sound.
Last edited by Avante; 06-25-2015 at 04:11 AM.
lol avante running to randoms hot plate.
I love to share what research and study has taught me. Few things more colorful than them old blues. Very interesting.
Try Lonesome Dog.
So far all you are doing is .....nothing. Where are the different stages of the Blues?
Thinking blue evolved from a older forms of music is critical thinking, hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rock and roll design is critical thinking.
Dude, why are you so ing lazy? no wonder you think you know something about the blues you're too lazy to learn anything.
Why not look at why I think you're an idiot.
Dude, are you simply re ed?
Why not actually read what was posted, something you didn't do.
I have 12 big books on them blues, now think stupid.
Dude, there isn't a blues cat who ever recorded I'm not aware of.
Recorded blues started in 1920 with Mamie Smiths "Crazy Blues". OBVIOUSLY...the blues came from those southern cotton fields, what you didn't know this idiot?
I highly recommend....
http://www.amazon.com/Wymans-Blues-O.../dp/B00005OACN
It takes you from the slave trade up to SRV etc.
Last edited by Avante; 06-25-2015 at 06:21 PM.
Most people who have walked this country had their music, there is a reason for that.
Only a dummy would think blues came from somewhere else. Hard to believe anyone could be that ing stupid.
Crazy Blues is a great song.
Little man, are you simply re ed?
What don't you get about....I HAVE 12 BIG BOOKS ON THEM BLUES...?
Stupid, the music most definately has it's origins ok ya stupid ?
Is this one dumb or what, wow~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mamie Smith wasn't really a "blues" singer. She was more polished than we associate with blues. I'm not a fan of hers or "Crazy Blues". I like it with some grit.
Not tall enough to reach the top shelf in the kitchen huh
tranalation
Thanks for the free education Avante. So how about something really primitive and obscure, ok? You are "Da Man".
Here ya go ya little .
'
Little people, I realize you little s would argure best toilet paper but don't mess with me when it comes to them blues, ok? Read all there is to read, trust me. Have it 100% covered, call it a hobby, my knowledge on this topic is on a whole other level than what you little s could imagine, so learn somethiing, ok? A free education, take advantage of it, ok?
Last edited by Avante; 06-26-2015 at 04:48 PM.
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