A brief history of the Blues
'The blues has deep roots in African-American history. It originated on Southern plantations during the 19th Century. Its inventors were slaves, ex-slaves and the descendants of slaves—African-American sharecroppers who sang as they toiled in the cotton and vegetable fields. It evolved from African spirituals, African chants, work songs, field hollers, rural fife and drum music, revivalist hymns, and country dance music. ' says Ed Kopp.
The blues grew up in the Mississippi Delta (New Orleans), the birthplace of jazz. However, Blues didn’t totally spread until the 30s and 40s. When it reached urban areas, it evolved into electrified Chicago Blues, other regional styles, and different mixtures of jazz and blues. In the 50s, it gave birth to ‘rhythm n’ blues’ (R&B) and ‘rock n’ roll’.
During the middle to late 1800s, bluesmen in Deep South helped shape the music. Unfortunately, not so much from this time is reached our days, but their legacy can still be heard in recordings from Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia and other Southern states, from the 20’s and 30’s. In fact, this music is really similar to the songs sung by the slaves and sharecroppers.
Blues bands may have evolved from early jazz bands, gospel choirs and jug bands. Jug band music was popular in the South until the 1930s. Early jug bands variously featured jugs, guitars, mandolins, banjos, kazoos, stringed basses, harmonicas, fiddles, washboards and other everyday appliances converted into crude instruments.
When blues moved to the cities it took characteristics from the different places (St. Louis blues, Memphis blues, Louisiana blues, etc). In the 40s, Blues artists from Chicago such as John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters were the first ones to electrify blues and add piano and drums.
"James Hopkinson's Plantation. Planting Sweet Potatoes"
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