The Upbringing of a Pioneer

Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe better known by his professional alias Jelly Roll Morton was a famous jazz musician in the early 20^th century [2].  Morton was said to have been born on October 20^th, 1890 along the Golf of Mexico just outside of New Orleans, no birth certificate has been found to date since New Orleans law didn’t require it until 1914 [2].  Morton’s early years were spent living between two homes, his mother and father, Louise Monette and Edward J. LaMothe separated early on [2].  He spent most of his time living with his mother and stepfather, even though Morton’s birth father didn’t give him much attention he did introduce him to instruments and music.  Morton’s first instrument was a harmonica, later he learnt drums, violin, and trombone which was his fathers instrument of choice but lastly, he landed on the piano which is what he is known for today [4].  Around the age of 14 he ended up moving in with his great-grandmother along with his two sisters after his mother passed away.  This didn’t last long due to her finding out that he was not working in a barrel factory but playing in a brothel while living in her Christian home.  Around this time as well is when his performance name was fully shaped, “Morton” was established from a variant of his stepfathers last name, Mouton [1].

The Career Road Map

After the incident causing Morton to be homeless he decided to travel around the Southern United States working in minstrel establishments and developing his craft.  In this time, he gained influence from Hispanic culture, blues, and ragtime [2].  The early years of the 20^th century Morton started writing songs and in 1915 he published his first jazz song “Jelly Roll Blues” with his band Red Hot Peppers.  In the 1920’s is where Morton’s career grew the most, 1923 he moved to Chicago with his band to commercially record their songs [1]. 1926 was the year Morton signed with Victor Talking Machine Company, Victor was one of the top record companies at the time and brought Morton plenty of opportunity to produce records and increase his significance. Lastly in 1928 Morton moved to New York where he married his wife Mabel Bertrand while continuing to play shows and record for Victor, but in 1931 he was not resigned with them which was the starting block for his struggles in the 1930’s [2].

The Fall of a legend

Along with growing up in a broken family Morton faced many struggles throughout his career.  Being a man of color in America especially in the 1900’s brought its struggles to anyone trying to make it. At that time ASCAP, American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers oversaw royalties and they were unfair in giving Morton’s cut [5].  Morton’s career took part around the Great Depression, which caused him to struggle in finding a new record label since companies were not signing musicians [1].  At the end of the Great Depression Morton found work at an establishment in Washington DC but was stabbed in an altercation, while seeking medical attention the hospital denied service due to it being a Caucasian only hospital.  Morton faced future breathing complications when poor medical attention was given at the hospital for colored Americans [4]. On July 10^th,1941 Morton was pronounced dead in a hospital after a 11 day stay, this ended the career of one of the early jazz pioneers [1].

Three Important Song Contributions

New Orleans Blues

I chose New Orleans blues as my first song because I thought it was a good example of his early influences traveling in the south, Hispanic music and blues.  From my listening I noticed Hispanic music from that era has a sense of smooth dynamic changes in the sense of rolling hills.  In Morton’s composition I could hear a tinge of that but played on his instrument of choice, the piano.

Doctor Jazz

Doctor Jazz was likely my favorite song I listened to, I enjoyed the upbeat tempo and welcome any song that makes me tap my foot without realizing it.  This song had a host of instrumentation, from trumpets to saxophones and of course piano.  I could hear the influences of blues and stomp embrace the music while retain the catchy jazz feeling with the piano and sax solos.

Turtle Twist

Now this is the structure of song I feel when I think of jazz, Turtle Twist embraces that slow tempo of jazz that my grandpa raised me on.  The smooth sound of the saxophone with the swift movements on the piano solos brings me back to the days of being a child when the word responsibilities was not in my vocabulary. I think this embraces the slow tempo of music from prior eras.

Notable Accomplishments

Morton was inducted into many rewards, 1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame under Early Influence, 2005 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, 2008 Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.  Morton’s music is still being played in Broadway shows to this day [2].

Music historian David McGee, “What Elvis Presley’s Sun recordings are to rock and roll, the Red Hot Peppers’ canon is to jazz” [3].

Jazz historian Orrin Keepnews, “one of the handful of Atlases upon whose shoulders rests the entire structure of our music” [3].

This Is Where I Say Goodbye

Morton encountered his share of struggles and hardships but was always able to continue making jazz music as his main job or a side hustle.  He allocated himself to be “the originator of jazz, stomps, and blues” which most people would agree that he has a strong case for [1].  All in all I enjoyed learning about Morton’s accomplishments in his era, even though his style of music isn’t my cup of tea I respect that he could have had an impact on the music I listen to today.

References:

1. “Mr. Jelly Lord: A Tribute to Jelly Roll Morton and His Red Hot Peppers”, Riverwalk Jazz – Stanford University Libraries, last modified http://riverwalkjazz.stanford.edu/program/mr-jelly-lord-tribute-jelly-roll-morton-and-his-red-hot-peppers 2002.
2. “Jelly Roll Morton”, New World Encyclopedia, accessed July 13^th, 2018. http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Jelly_Roll_Morton.
3. “Jelly Roll Morton”, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, accessed July 14^th, 2018. https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/jelly-roll-morton.
4. “Morton, Ferdinand Joseph La Menthe “Jelly Roll” (1885-1941)”, Black Past, accessed July 13^th, 2018. http://www.blackpast.org/aah/morton-ferdinand-joseph-la-menthe-jelly-roll-1885-1941
5. “JELLY ROLL MORTON – FINAL YEARS OF FRUSTRATION (1939-1941)”, Doctor Jazz, accessed July 14^th,2018. http://www.doctorjazz.co.uk/page24.html.

Ma Rainey was not only an entertainer but also known as a businesswoman. Rainey was born on April 26th, 1886 to her parents Thomas and Ella Pridgett in Columbus Georgia. Rainey was referred to as the Mother of blues in 1920. She was the very first person to incorporate ‘blues into her performances by using a mixture of country blues and early jazz into her music. Ma Rainey built her own entertainment company in the early 1900s after an illustrious career.

In the 1900s Ma Rainey was a dominant force in the music industry. From 1904 to 1917 Ma Rainey and her husband toured with various groups, one being “Rabbit Foot Minstrels” until their divorce. In December 1923 Rainey started a five-year association with Paramount, which lead to her becoming the first ever women to record blues professionally which resulted in Rainey making more than 100 recording of her own compositions. She had composed or collaborated on 92 of the 100 songs which dealt with love and sexuality. By 1917 Ma Rainey started gathering large audiences to her shows. Her audience was half white and half black as she was gaining powers from the south. Ma Rainey started ad campaigns to promote her records such as “The Songbird of the South,” “The Gold necked Woman of the Blues.”  Due to these acts Rainey was celebrated with a record label which had the picture of her on it.

From her success in her early recordings, Ma Rainey took part in a Paramount promotional tour which involved a newly set up backup band. Rainey made her tour debut in Chicago’s Grand Theater on State Street which was the first appearance by of a ‘down home’  blues artist at a southside venue. Rainey’s looks on stage would lure the entire audience as she wore bright shining chances and was covered in diamonds. She would have everyone In the audience swaying and rocking to her music.

Once Rainey retired from music, she settled in Columbus and focused her attention on the ownership of two entertainment facilities, the Lyric Theater and the Airdrome. She was also profoundly dedicated to activities in the Friendship Baptist Church.

“My audience wants to see me beautifully gowned, and I have spared no expense or pains…For I feel that the best is none too good for the public that pays to hear a Singer.” Ma Rainey.

In the earlier days sexual roles were much different then they are now. Ma Rainey was lesbian and expressed her thoughts through various songs such as “Prove It On Me Blues” where she says “I don’t like no men” She wears masculine clothing which was not warranted in the 20’s and 30’s. However, even with having her own gender beliefs she would not allow that to get the best of her and let her music make most of the noise.

A tune’s is like a staircase-walk up on it- Ma Rainey

Rainey was the first black blues singer. Ma had to demand tasks and roles from her co-workers as that is the only way she can gain the respect she deserves. Although she has been working with a white manager ‘Will LeBow’ for six years; they would only meet when the manager needed her to sing for his white friends.

Songs By Ma Rainey:

The first song I chose is “Trust No Man.”  The most common subject in rage blues songs was the woman’s cheating man. Women were too harsh towards other women as they did not want to give them any advice.”Don’t trust your man no further your eye can see” This song was directed towards the black woman within a community. This song was similar to most blues songs but only teaching the group of women on how to deal with men. This song is crucial to Ma Rainey as she and her husband divorced after the conclusion of their tour.

The second song I chose was “Countin’ the Blues.” This song is significant as it talks about her trying to use music as a gateway to run from the issues of race and sexuality that took place during that time. “Layin’ in bed this mornin’ with my face turned to the wall
Trying to count these blues so I could sing ’em all” this line is significant as Rainey was so passionate about her blues music which eventually attracted audiences of both races which allowed them to forget about separation and focus on blues music The background instruments enable the viewer to engage in the music.

The final song I chose was “See See Rider Blues.”  This song focuses on the answer of the other women. This song emphasis that women are strong enough to care for their man. However, this went against their gender role as women never displayed aggression or violence. Therefore this song was not necessarily talking about the current women in her generation but what women could and should be like in the future ‘dominant and role models’. Rainey helped to bring this message out due to the flow of the background orchestra and percussion.

Bibliography:

1. N.d. “Ma Rainey American Singer” Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ma-Rainey
2. Lee Orr, “ Arts & Culture Music” New Georgia Encyclopedia 06/17/2018 https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/gertrude-ma-rainey-1886-1939
3. Jas Obrecht, “ The Life and Music of “The Mother of the Blues”  Classic Blues 08/07/2010 http://jasobrecht.com/ma-rainey-the-mother-of-the-blues/
4. “Ma Rainey.” Biography. July 14, 2018. Accessed July 14, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/ma-rainey-9542413

Born on May 26, 1883, in Cinncinati, Ohio, Mamie Gardner entered a world without blues music… a world she would change. By the age of 10, Mamie was performing as a vaudeville entertainer, continued on to tour with a minstrel troupe by 1910, and assumed her recognizable last name in 1912 when she married singer William “Smitty” Smith (Garner, 2018). Mamie began showcasing her many talents when she moved to Harlem and began work as a cabernet dancer, singer, and pianist. In 1918 she would have her first, but certainly not last run-in with legendary composer, Perry Bradford when she appeared in his musical, “Made in Harlem”(AAR, 2018).  What Mamie didn’t know at this point, was that her career and place in music history would, coincidentally, be made in Harlem. She recorded her first two songs in February 1920 called “You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” and “A Little Thing Called Love” composed by Perry Bradford and produced by Okeh Records (Garner, 2018).

August 10, 1920: a historic day for Mamie Smit, African Americans, and American pop culture.

The song “Crazy Blues” was composed by Perry Bradford and later recorded by Okeh Studios on August 10, 1920 (Garner, 2018). This song sold one million copies within the first six months of its release, which quickly made Mamie Smith a household name. Although this song does not fully classify as a blues song, but rather a blues-influenced popular song, it is still widely considered to be the first blues recording in history (Campbell, 2013). The outstanding success of this song sparked a revolution in the music industry as other music producers began searching for female African American singers to capitalize on the newly-discovered “race record” market (Garner, 2018). Mamie Smith broke the glass ceiling and created the opportunity for future black female singers to also make history.

Smith’s success came at one of the tensest times in American history between white and black Americans. Post World War 1, many African Americans migrated to Northern cities like New York and Chicago where they were met with resistance from the many white Americans. It was this resistance that threatened the production of Smith’s songs. Fred Hager, recording director of Okeh Records, received boycott threats from pressure groups warning him not to produce songs by Mamie Smith or any African Americans. Despite the threats, Hager took a chance on Smith and exploded her career (Simins, 2016).

“He (Hager) pried open that old ‘prejudiced door’ for the first coloured girl, Mamie Smith”- Perry Bradford

Despite the racial conflicts at the time of Mamie’s rise to fame, she continuously broke through barriers as she went on tour and sold-out shows in majorly white populated cities. On April 23, 1921, Mamie performed in front of a sold-out crowd in Richmond, Indiana, a town that was only 5% African American populated and where 45% of white males belonged to the Ku Klux Klan at one point. Mamie Smith was part of a time of cultural appropriation where white Americans would separate the African American music they loved from the African American Culture they oppressed (Simins, 2016).

Mamie was said to have been glamorous and display her wealth through her gorgeous clothing and jewelry (Garner, 2018). It could be assumed the white Americans were able to forget about their distasteful thoughts towards black Americans when it came to Mamie because she displayed a high-class persona that was associated with the dominant white culture.

“You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down”

This song starts out with a higher tempo form of the melody that transgresses into a short, upbeat riff that finally takes us into the smooth playing of the slower melody of the song. The trombone instrumentation becomes very pronounced in the first chorus as the dynamics of the trombone notes get louder and come into the song at consistent intervals. Throughout the entire song, there is a consistent melody coming from the other instrumentation of the Jazz Hounds. I particularly picked up on the smooth playing of the saxophone, the piano and the trombone, which gave texture to this piece of music. This song was one of Mamie’s first songs to be recorded by Okeh Records. This recording got Mamie’s foot in the door at Okeh Records and provided her the start to her career that would later explode because of further recording opportunities.

“That Thing Called Love”

This song also starts with a higher tempo instrumentation that slows down dramatically at the time of Mamie’s vocal entry. I can hear the presence of piano chords which in the chorus which in my opinion, add a more pronounced beat to the song. The chorus also includes beautiful note progressions from the saxophone which adds texture to the song. This was also one of Mamie’s first songs she had recorded that helped set the foundation that later on gave her the opportunity to record her smash hit, “Crazy Blues.”

“Crazy Blues”

This is one of her more upbeat songs with higher-tempo instrumentation and higher-pitched vocals that take away the smoothness present in her other two songs posted on this blog. The trombone has a strong presence throughout the entire song, mainly offering accent notes. The background clarinet instrumentation has a considerably high tempo and at times does not seem to fit the tempo of the vocals, which creates a listening conflict for me personally. This song was a major contribution to the race record market and opened the door for other female African American singers. The history made and large amount of records sold because of this song led to “Crazy Blues” being inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1994, making it Mamie’s Smith most influential piece of work (Gussow, 2002).

Following the success of “Crazy Blues”, Smith toured with the Jazz Hounds in the 1930s where she displayed performance style that was said to be full of animation and her infectious smile and personality (Gussow, 2015). She later progressed into a career in film when she appeared in some African American films in 1940. It is difficult to find extensive, credible information on the death of Mamie Smith, but she is said to have died in 1946 in Harlem (Garner, 2018).

Work Cited:

Callaloo. 25, no. 1 (2002): 8-44. Assessed July 13, 2018.  https://www-jstor-org.cyber.usask.ca/stable/3300383

Campbell, Michael. Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On. 4th ed.* Boston: Schirmer/Cengage Learning, 2013.

“Cincinnati’s Own, Mamie Smith.” African American Registry. Accessed July 13, 2018. https://aaregistry.org/story/cincinnatis-own-mamie-smith/.

Simins, Jill Weiss. “”Oh Boy! She’s Coming to Richmond”: Mamie Smith Brings the “Crazy Blues,” 1921.” Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana’s Digital Newspaper Program. July 03, 2017. Accessed July 13, 2018. https://blog.newspapers.library.in.gov/mamie-smith/.

“Smith, Mamie (1883-1946) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed.” St. Clair, Stephanie (1886–1969) | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. Accessed July 13, 2018. http://www.blackpast.org/aah/smith-mamie-1883-1946.

Hello, I’m Reed, a 4th year computer science student.  I live here in Saskatoon. I enjoy video games, movies, art of all kinds as well as music from all genres. I work as an application analyst for Nutrien. Introductions aside, I’ve decided to make my first post as a biography of most popular  and influential early blues musicians, C. W. Handy.

As a child, his father dissuaded him from music, only allowing him to play the organ. This didn’t stop him from pursuing it, and it became a force that engulfed his life. Like many black musicians of the time, Handy got his first taste of performance as a part of a minstrel show production. Though he briefly became a teacher, his passion was always in music[1].

Handy wrote that he discovered what came to be known as the blues in 1903 by watching a black man plunk a guitar strangely.  “As he played, he pressed a knife on the strings of the guitar in a manner popularized by Hawaiian guitarists who used steel bars… The singer repeated the line three times, accompanying himself on the guitar with the weirdest music I had ever heard[2].” Inspired by this, he would use elements of the style while traveling with different bands, eventually settling in the clubs located in Memphis, Tennessee.  Here he would craft his first big hit, “Memphis Blues”, which was published in 1912.

The song sounds upbeat and catchy, with a memorable riff, its no wonder it caught on.  It was also fairly novel, and spread like wildfire due to its distribution of sheet music. Everyone wanted to play this new form of music, and to do that you needed the sheet. However, Handy never saw the financial success he deserved, because he had sold the rights of the song[1]. He received $50 for the sale of it, and watched as it exploded in popularity. This unfortunate experience inspired him to start his own publishing company, which would prove to be one of the best and most important decisions of his career.

Now in charge of his own music, Handy’s next big hit “The St. Louis Blues” was even more successful.

Unlike the first one, this song was less upbeat and cheery sounding, and less predictable. It has more syncopation, and more musical dominance by only one instrument at a time, instead of all of them competing equally. With his new publishing firm now directly in the spotlight, he was able to purchase new artists songs, while continually producing hit songs.

During this time, many songs would come out his publishing firm[3]. Often times, Handy would make his own versions of previously existing songs, recreating them in a blues style. For example, his song “Hesitating Blues” was based off “Hesitation blues”, a blues song credited to three artists which was again based off of an old tune. As well, his song “Loveless Love” was his take on “Careless Love”, another old well known song with many blues variations.

I’ve posted here a piano cover, because its difficult to find mp3 versions of Handy’s songs, outside of his two biggest hits. But it does well to emphasize the point that most of Handy’s songs became well known due to the spread of sheet music, and many people would recreate their own versions. One of the best known versions of the song is played by Louis Armstrong.

These competing styles show that the same song can sound radically different due to instrumentation and tempo. Connected by the same melody, but sonically very different, they paint different pictures. The piano version sounds light-hearted and playful, whereas the Armstrong version sounds laid back and relaxing. His gruff singing also adds a less open interpretation of the meaning being conveyed, as well as generally an important missing element. The addition of vocals allow for more musical expression.

W. C. Handy’s legacy is a very important one, but not without hardships. He was plagued with health scares, and racism and southern prejudice forced him to relocate his business to New York. Due to a fall from a subway platform in the 1940s, he received a skull fracture that caused him to develop blindness. In 1955, he suffered a stroke that left him wheelchair bound, and he died in 1958 from bronchial pneumonia[1].

However, despite the hardships and prejudice, his legacy endures. His achievements lead to him being known as the “Father of Blues”. Handy reached large white audiences with his book “Blues: An Anthology”, and his funeral was attended by 20,000 who filled the church and streets.

Sources:

1. “W.C. Handy.” Biography.com. October 27, 2015. Accessed July 05, 2018. https://www.biography.com/people/wc-handy-39700.

2. Banerji, Robin. “WC Handy’s Memphis Blues: The Song of 1912.” BBC News. December 30, 2012. Accessed July 05, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20769518.

4. Matteson, Richard. “Matteson Art.” Understanding Magritte – Matteson Art. Accessed July 05, 2018. http://www.mattesonart.com/11111111history.aspx.