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On 29/07/06, steven c wrote: > In 1916, the ODJB cut what are supposed to be the first recordings > of jazz; note that one of the tunes was not only titled as a "blues" > but was indeed a 12-bar blues tune. These records led in turn to > a "jazz" fad (which included blues). One of the side effects of > this development was the recording (by the smaller labels) of > Black blues and jazz performers. When Mamie Smith's "Crazy Blues" > became popular and made money for the Okeh label, that firm > decided to issue "race" records, aimed at Black customers > (note that Okeh already had a profitable sideline of "ethnic" > records using sides obtained via its Lindstrom connection... > the Black demographic was viewed as another ethnic group!). > Since the record companies, almost all based in New York > City or recording there, had no idea where/how to find > artists whose blues records would sell, they usually > trusted people they knew...often salesmen based in > the US south! > > The firms had started by recording "vaudeville blues" > artists...usually female singers recounting "tales of > woe" of how they had been abused by their menfolk, but > still loved them anyway...backed up by small jazz bands > or, occasionally, pianists. Around 1923-24, Paramount > and Okeh first experimented with "country blues"... > male blues singers self-accompanied on a stringed > instrument (usually guitar, althouh mandolin and > banjo are also known). This style came closer to > reflecting the music that Black record buyers across > the US south knew; when it sold well, the labels set > out to issue more of it, but realized they knew > absolutely nothing about whomever played it! They > hired artists to record "by guess and by gosh"...and > evidence of both competence and INcompetence survives > on shellac! > > One effect of this, of course, was that blues music > itself trended toward standardization. The blues > artists performing in the "jook joints" knew they > would be asked for recorded "hits"...and therefore > made a point of learning those tunes off the records. > > Note that I could go on to recount how electric guitars > replaced acoustic ones, and how "Big Bill" Broonzy > introduced (AFAIK) the idea of using a small combo for > backup instead of his own guitar...but this message > is already getting unmanageably long... I wonder why male blues singers also played the guitar, but female singers just sang? Regards -- Don Cox [log in to unmask]