The Blues Roots of the Blues And Performers Roots of the Blues And Performers

 African Roots: Earliest Slaves  Many came from the Senegambia region  Present-day Senegal and the Gambia  Progressed south over the years into present day Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria and Cameroon.  Also included area around the mouth of the Congo River  African Roots: Earliest Slaves  Many came from the Senegambia region  Present-day Senegal and the Gambia  Progressed south over the years into present day Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria and Cameroon.  Also included area around the mouth of the Congo River Where the blues Came From

Music of Senegambia  Used drumming, hand clapping and call and response singing styles  Call and Response – a leader, usually strongest singer, improvises and a chorus sings a repeated refrain in unison.  Music is usually a group activity.  Drumming music was polyrhythmic, which carried over into the blues style  Used drumming, hand clapping and call and response singing styles  Call and Response – a leader, usually strongest singer, improvises and a chorus sings a repeated refrain in unison.  Music is usually a group activity.  Drumming music was polyrhythmic, which carried over into the blues style

Coming to America  African influences carried over into the fields of slavery  African Slaves spent time singing songs while working  Gandy Dancers Gandy Dancers AA frican influences carried over into the fields of slavery AA frican Slaves spent time singing songs while working GGandy Dancers

Instruments  Availability of instruments  Post Civil War – became easier to order from catalogs  Guitars, Harmonica & Piano became most popular instruments  Training  Most performers were trained by watching and mimicking other performers  Blues form was based loosely on the call and response style of the field hollers  Often used the instrument as the response in the song  Availability of instruments  Post Civil War – became easier to order from catalogs  Guitars, Harmonica & Piano became most popular instruments  Training  Most performers were trained by watching and mimicking other performers  Blues form was based loosely on the call and response style of the field hollers  Often used the instrument as the response in the song

Recording  Artists were given the opportunities to record  Alan Lomax -  went to MS in 1941 to record Delta Blues for the Library of Congress  Recording was often done in homes or warehouses  Artists were not used to the short time constraints of recording an album and had to adjust their playing styles  Usual performances at dances required longer songs  Artists were given the opportunities to record  Alan Lomax -  went to MS in 1941 to record Delta Blues for the Library of Congress  Recording was often done in homes or warehouses  Artists were not used to the short time constraints of recording an album and had to adjust their playing styles  Usual performances at dances required longer songs

Delta Blues  Acoustic Guitar Styles  Slide guitar - a metal tube put over the finger and slid across the strings to give a different sound.  Based on Hawaiian slide guitar  Often used a bottle neck  Son House playing with finger slide Son House playing with finger slide  Lap style playing  Bottles, pen knives, or other metal objects used  Bukka White playing slide guitar on his lap Bukka White playing slide guitar on his lap  Black Ace playing with bottle Black Ace playing with bottle  Acoustic Guitar Styles  Slide guitar - a metal tube put over the finger and slid across the strings to give a different sound.  Based on Hawaiian slide guitar  Often used a bottle neck  Son House playing with finger slide Son House playing with finger slide  Lap style playing  Bottles, pen knives, or other metal objects used  Bukka White playing slide guitar on his lap Bukka White playing slide guitar on his lap  Black Ace playing with bottle Black Ace playing with bottle

Delta Blues Artist  Charley Patton  Born in 1891 in Mississippi  Considered the start of the Delta Blues style  Gravelly and strong voice that could carry for large groups to hear  Very accomplished guitar playing  Used slide guitar  Heavy rhythmic accompaniment on guitar  Charley Patton “Shake it and Break it” Charley Patton “Shake it and Break it”  Charley Patton  Born in 1891 in Mississippi  Considered the start of the Delta Blues style  Gravelly and strong voice that could carry for large groups to hear  Very accomplished guitar playing  Used slide guitar  Heavy rhythmic accompaniment on guitar  Charley Patton “Shake it and Break it” Charley Patton “Shake it and Break it”

Chicago Blues Artist  Muddy Waters (born McKinley Morganfield)  Born April 4, in Rolling Fork, MS  Died April 30, in Chicago, IL  His idol was Son House, a Delta Bluesman  Muddy played the electric guitar and had a very strong voice.  1950 hit “Rollin’ Stone” was the inspiration for a young British band’s name -The Rolling Stones“Rollin’ Stone”  Had large part in the 1960’s revival of the blues  Muddy Waters (born McKinley Morganfield)  Born April 4, in Rolling Fork, MS  Died April 30, in Chicago, IL  His idol was Son House, a Delta Bluesman  Muddy played the electric guitar and had a very strong voice.  1950 hit “Rollin’ Stone” was the inspiration for a young British band’s name -The Rolling Stones“Rollin’ Stone”  Had large part in the 1960’s revival of the blues

Women Blues Artists  Gertrude “Ma” Rainey - “Mother of the Blues”  Born Gertrude M. Pridgett on April 26, 1886 in Georgia  Died December 22, 1939  Began singing professionally as a teen  Performed in minstrel and medicine shows  married William “Pa” Rainey  Recorded over 100 songs in six years with Paramount Records  Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame  Inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame  “See See Rider Blues” - “Ma” Rainey “See See Rider Blues” - “Ma” Rainey  Cover of “See See Rider” by Elvis Presley Cover of “See See Rider” by Elvis Presley  Gertrude “Ma” Rainey - “Mother of the Blues”  Born Gertrude M. Pridgett on April 26, 1886 in Georgia  Died December 22, 1939  Began singing professionally as a teen  Performed in minstrel and medicine shows  married William “Pa” Rainey  Recorded over 100 songs in six years with Paramount Records  Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame  Inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame  “See See Rider Blues” - “Ma” Rainey “See See Rider Blues” - “Ma” Rainey  Cover of “See See Rider” by Elvis Presley Cover of “See See Rider” by Elvis Presley

Blues Women  Bessie Smith - “The Empress of the Blues”  Born Elizabeth Smith on April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, TN  Died September 26, 1937 in Clarksdale, MS  sang in the same show as “Ma” Rainey  Rainey provided Smith with some vocal lessons  starred in “St. Louis Blues” video starred in “St. Louis Blues” video  The only footage of her performances  Blues were declining in popularity, and Smith lost her recording contract with Columbia in 1931  Smith died in a tragic car accident in September at the age of 43.  Bessie Smith - “The Empress of the Blues”  Born Elizabeth Smith on April 15, 1894 in Chattanooga, TN  Died September 26, 1937 in Clarksdale, MS  sang in the same show as “Ma” Rainey  Rainey provided Smith with some vocal lessons  starred in “St. Louis Blues” video starred in “St. Louis Blues” video  The only footage of her performances  Blues were declining in popularity, and Smith lost her recording contract with Columbia in 1931  Smith died in a tragic car accident in September at the age of 43.

Robert Johnson  Born Robert Leroy Johnson on May 8, 1911 in Hazlehurst, MS  Died August 16, 1938 in Greenwood, MS  Johnson’s guitar skills are regarded as him having made a deal with the devil at the crossroads.  Some claim that he was an awful guitarist and almost overnight became a spectacular player  Many different accounts of Robert Johnson that make his story very intriguing.  Born Robert Leroy Johnson on May 8, 1911 in Hazlehurst, MS  Died August 16, 1938 in Greenwood, MS  Johnson’s guitar skills are regarded as him having made a deal with the devil at the crossroads.  Some claim that he was an awful guitarist and almost overnight became a spectacular player  Many different accounts of Robert Johnson that make his story very intriguing.

Robert Johnson  “Love in Vain” - Shows his ability to sing a beautiful melody “Love in Vain”  Moved around a great deal  “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom” - a slang term for leaving “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom”  His death adds to his mysteriousness  Johnson was rumored to have been murdered by the husband of a woman he was hitting on at a show  “Love in Vain” - Shows his ability to sing a beautiful melody “Love in Vain”  Moved around a great deal  “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom” - a slang term for leaving “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom”  His death adds to his mysteriousness  Johnson was rumored to have been murdered by the husband of a woman he was hitting on at a show

Cross Road Blues  “Cross Road Blues” - Robert Johnson “Cross Road Blues”  Covered by Cream - “Crossroads”“Crossroads”  Eric Clapton - “Crossroads”“Crossroads”  “Cross Road Blues” - Robert Johnson “Cross Road Blues”  Covered by Cream - “Crossroads”“Crossroads”  Eric Clapton - “Crossroads”“Crossroads”

Six Degrees of Robert Johnson  How many artists were influenced by the blues?  The Game:  Choose an artist  Find their musical influences and try to connect their influences with a blues artist.  Example:  Queen  The Beatles  Chuck Berry  Muddy Waters  Robert Johnson  How many artists were influenced by the blues?  The Game:  Choose an artist  Find their musical influences and try to connect their influences with a blues artist.  Example:  Queen  The Beatles  Chuck Berry  Muddy Waters  Robert Johnson

Extensions 1. Choose a cover of a blues song   Write a 1-2 page paper comparing and contrasting the two versions. 2. Create a cover of a blues song and perform on your instrument. 3. Write a brief (1-2 page paper) on a blues artist of your choosing. 4. Compose a blues piece using the 12 bar blues format. Create your own lyrics and add either electronic or live instrumental accompaniment.References 1. Choose a cover of a blues song   Write a 1-2 page paper comparing and contrasting the two versions. 2. Create a cover of a blues song and perform on your instrument. 3. Write a brief (1-2 page paper) on a blues artist of your choosing. 4. Compose a blues piece using the 12 bar blues format. Create your own lyrics and add either electronic or live instrumental accompaniment.References

References Dahl, Bill. “Muddy Waters - Biography.” All Music Web site. (accessed April 18, 2010). Guralnick, Peter. Searching For Robert Johnson. New York:Penguin Putnam Inc., O’Neal, Jim & Erlewine, S. T. “Ma Rainey.” All Music Web site. (accessed April 18, 2010). Yanow, Scott. “Bessie Smith.” All Music Web site. (accessed April 18, 2010). Dahl, Bill. “Muddy Waters - Biography.” All Music Web site. (accessed April 18, 2010). Guralnick, Peter. Searching For Robert Johnson. New York:Penguin Putnam Inc., O’Neal, Jim & Erlewine, S. T. “Ma Rainey.” All Music Web site. (accessed April 18, 2010). Yanow, Scott. “Bessie Smith.” All Music Web site. (accessed April 18, 2010).