THE BLUES Splinter Groups

Regional Variations There wasn’t anything like the communications technology we have now Even then, such technology was largely denied to African-Americans Blues styles developed regionally – mostly along Mississippi-Missouri rivers. Delta Blues (‘Country Blues’) Chicago Blues Memphis Blues …and many others

DELTA BLUES The (unrecorded) origins date to the turn of the 20th century. This is the best known, most popular type of ‘Country Blues’. Others include Piedmont Blues, early Texas blues and Swamp blues. Delta blues are named after the Mississippi Delta in the State of Mississippi, not the Mississippi river delta in Louisiana. Early recordings are usually solo, but later work often included bands. Principal musical characteristic is slide (‘bottleneck’) guitar. Structures are classic simple blues https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKo80b-QfK0 Main exponents – Muddy Waters, Bukka White, Charlie Patton, Son House, early Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, and…..

Robert Johnson

‘Sold his soul to the Devil….’ Eric Clapton has called Johnson "the most important blues singer that ever lived."[ His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generations of musicians. It was only after the reissue of his recordings in 1961, on the LP ‘King of the Delta Blues singers that his work reached a wider audience. He was the subject of the Faustian story that he ‘sold his soul to the devil’. Johnson died at the age of 27, having only recorded 29 songs. However, a large number of these songs have become blues standards, such as ‘Love in Vain’, ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ and ‘Crossroad Blues’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8hqGu-leFc

Chicago Blues The best known recognised form of urban blues. Others include St Louis blues, Memphis blues, West coast blues. Urban blues evolved from Delta blues as a result of the great depression and developed in the first half of the twentieth century during the Great Migration, when Black workers moved from the Southern USA into the industrial cities of the North such as Chicago. Because of this, some blues artists who began their musical life as ‘Delta blues’ artists were subsequently regarded as ‘Chicago blues’ exponents, such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup. Other notables include Willie Dixon, Earl Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, Bo Diddley, Big Bill Broonzy, Buddy Guy and Sonny Boy Williamsons I and II. Almost always band performances. Electric instruments commonplace. Harmonica omnipresent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ri7TcukAJ8

Memphis Blues The style musically evolved from a synthesis of country blues with the music from vaudeville and medicine shows, and was associated with Memphis' main entertainment area, Beale Street. W C Handy, the so-called "Father of the Blues" published the song ‘The Memphis Blues’ in 1912, and this gave an identity to the relatively sophisticated jazz-blues that followed. The music is more ‘composed’ and ‘arranged’ than most other blues stylings. There are often horn arrangements, backing vocals and even strings on recordings. This follows on from the Music-Hall origins of the style. In general, it is more piano- based than other more guitar-orientated blues styles. Notable artists are: Bessie Smith, Sleepy John Estes, Memphis Minnie, BB King, Bobby ‘Blue’ Bland, Junior Parker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MzU8xM99Uo

History of the blues pt 2: https://www. youtube. com/watch History of the blues pt 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xr3bIHqeAoU&index=2&list=PLMZJ XymFn-om39IbnOjzF9ZrcWeNcRLMU History of the blues pt 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8b33OusOiM