-
Plantation Melodies
Rev. Marshall W. Taylor's Book of Negro Folk Songs becomes the first collection of spiritual songs put together by African Americans. -
Period: to
History of Blues
-
Henry Sloan
Henry Sloan is a legendary mini-know blues man and he played blues as early as this year. He then will go on to taught Charley Patton who will become the earliest bluesmen. -
Blues Performers
Pat Chappelle organizes an African American theater touring company to produce many musicals. This then becomes a success and would go on to employ many early African American blues performers. -
Ma Rainey
Ma Rainey includes blues music in her stage show which led her to becoming on of the most famous performers of the genre in the whole country. -
Slide Guitar
W.C Handy is in Mississippi hears a performance which inspires his own career and this is the first time to be documented of actual blues and the use of the slide guitar. -
Old Blues
Many older blues performers born before this year considered themselves musicans that were ready to perform a wide variety of musical styles. -
"The Memphis Blues"
W.C Handy publishes "The Memphis Blues" a song he had composed for mayoral campaign. This creates an "unpredicted vogue" for blues-styled music. -
Blues Text
Earlier in the year, the very first blues texts to be published to the public were "Baby Sea Blues" by Artie Matthews and "Dallas Blues" by Hart A. Wand. -
"St. Louis Blues"
W.C Handy publishes the most widely popular and enduring commercial success of all the blues songs. This will then carry the blues all over the world. -
"Jelly Roll Blues"
"Jelly Rolls Blues" written by Jelly Roll Morton becomes the first published jazz arrangement. -
New Life
Many African Americans began moving to northern cities, especially Chicago.IN these large groups they would bring with them their distinct forms of music. -
An Influence
The Navy shuts down Storyville which results in a exodus of black musicians who had played in those bars and clubs in Memphis and Chicago. The Northerners picked up the "hot", bluesy style themselves. -
A New Fad
Tin Pad Alley songs spark an all new fad for Blues-like music including syncopated foxtrots like "Jazz Me Blues". -
"Crazy Blues"
Back in 1910 blues music was mainly instrumental and nothing else but that all changed instantly when the release of "Crazy Blues" by Mamie Smith in 1920. -
Jump Blues
A danceable blend of swing and blues was created. First pioneered by Louis Jordan.
