A History Of Blues Pt1.

Black folks have literally created almost every modern genre of music. From the sound, dance moves, rhythms, mannerisms, etc. Crazy.

The song at 11:15 is called Swanee Shuffle (by Irvin Berlin). It's a clip from the movie Hallelujah (1929). The girl's name is Nina Mae McKinney.

Superbe vidéo!   J'ai déménagé à Austin (Texas) avec mon premier mari Joe dans les 1970s. Joe était record producer. Il connaissait tout le monde. Et assez tôt... moi aussi.  Quoi qu'il en soit, à l'âge de 19 ans, je me suis retrouvé au Antone's blues club (Clifford Antone était un grand ami -- il avait son club d'abord sur 6th Street et puis des autres endroits) avec tous les grands bluesmen. Pensez d'un blues génie, et s'il (ou s'elle) était vivant pendant les 1970s-1980s, eh bien, lui et moi avons partagé une bière.  Austin, ce fut une telle grande ville pour le blues à l'époque.  Tous les musiciens d'Austin ont dormi de temps en temps sur notre canapé, dans notre chambre d'hôtes... les histoires que je pourrais raconter...

This was amazing!!!! You did quite a lot of research on this. I'm very impressed and you did an AMAZING job!! I think this is very important to know for many Americans, especially with how much blues had on today's music.

So many things I didn't know about the blues, cool to learn the history full of unknown great musicians! I for one absolutely adore pianoblues.

Nice film clips. That's a really really clean version of Bessie Smith's "St. Louis Blues." I don't think I've ever heard a version so well restored.

Have been reading some of the comments from the last year. Thanks to all who have contributed by adding more information. Always more things to learn. Rollo (the show producer).

Very nice documentary. Well done! Thanks for posting it.

Great music and musicians ,thank you so much .

Very good. I like how the documentary lets the music and footage speak for themselves. Great stuff.

B.B. and Gary. Together again. RIP

Why are so few people watching this? It's good. Wonderfully full of authentic materials. Thanks!

what a wonderful performance at 11:30 : ) loved it.

The long late night was worth, it I think, 'cause you've done a great job! Thanks for making & posting this!

Betty Smith, One  of the blues legend

Great documentary. Thanks for uploading.

i worship blues.. i was looking for such thing and your work on this is really great

William Christopher Handy's 'Memphis Blues' was the first, published blues song (1912). And in December 1914, when the Victor Military Band recorded the song, it became the very first blues recording. Another orchestra known as Prince’s Band, recorded it just a week later, with a similar arrangement. A few weeks after that, lyrics were added and vaudeville singer Morton Harvey recorded it creating the first vocal blues recording. So the first three blues recordings were all of the same song; 'Memphis Blues'. A song recorded on August 10, 1920, for Okeh Records would take the blues to a “whole ‘nother level,” as they say. Though not a blues performer, vaudeville singer and actress Mamie Smith notched her place in music history as the first black woman to record a vocal blues. That song was 'Crazy Blues', which sold a million records in its first six months and made record labels aware of the huge potential market for what were then called "race records". 'Crazy Blues' paved the way for Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith and the others who followed. It’s interesting to note that Mamie Smith's pioneering recording session was an accident. The famous stage star, Sophie Tucker, was scheduled to record, but became ill at the last minute and Mamie was called in as a substitute. Her historic recording made her a wealthy woman and set off a popular music trend. Other early blues musicians/singers worth mentioning: Edith Wilson, Lucille Hegamin, Clara Smith, Rosa Henderson, Lucille Bogan, Ed Andrews, Daddy Stovepipe & Papa Charlie Jackson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bo Weavil Jackson, Peg Leg Howell, Blind Willie McTell & Barbecue Bob, Frank Stokes, Julius Daniels, Tommy Johnson, Robert Wilkins, Joe Pullum, Leroy Carr, Coley Jones, Hambone Willie Newbern, Lee Green, Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe, Peetie Wheatstraw, Leadbelly, Washboard Sam, “Sonny Boy” John Lee Williamson, Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Tommy McClennan, Ida Cox, Alberta Hunter, Victoria Spivey, Ethel Waters, Ishman Bracey, Skip James, Mississippi John Hurt, Memphis Slim, Lightnin' Hopkins, Lowell Fulson, Bo Diddley, Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter...

Thanks for posting this, very well-made...nice ...thaks to Marina Miksha....

Thanks for all your comments. Sorry for any errors - I have been fascinated reading the comments and learning more. I assembled these 4 vids in under 3 weeks for a Blues Guitar summer school was presenting from archive material I had to hand at the time. In peace and harmony to you all. Rollo, the producer. www.king-rollo.co.uk