Beale Street Blues
| "Beale Street Blues" | |
|---|---|
 Sheet music cover | |
| SongbyGilda Gray | |
| Published | 1917 |
| Genre | Blues |
| Songwriter(s) | W.C. Handy |
"Beale Street Blues"is a song by American composer and lyricistW.C. Handy.It was named afterBeale Street,a center of African-American music inMemphis, Tennessee,and was published in 1917.
Background
[edit]The title refers toBeale Streetin Memphis, Tennessee, an entertainment district for the city's African-American population in the early part of the 20th century.[1]Accounts of Handy's inspiration vary: one is that he observed a pianist playing in a cafe on that street;[2]another credits a barber commenting on closing early because no one had been murdered on the street that day.[3]
Composition and lyrics
[edit]"Beale Street Blues" "juxtaposes the12-bar bluesform with an 8-bar counter-theme ".[1]The song was published in 1917.[1]Difficulty in securing a good publishing deal meant that Handy published it himself.[4]
Early versions
[edit]The publication of the song coincided with the beginning of jazz recordings.[1]An early version byEarl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band earned Handy's firm $2,857 in royalties.[1]A version by singerMarion Harriswas a top 10 hit in December 1921.[1]More typically, however, in the early years after it was written, jazz musicians played instrumental versions of the song.[1]
Later versions and influence
[edit]Jack Teagardenused the song as a vocal showcase in the 1930s and 1940s, and recorded it with several bands in that period.[1]In thebig bandera, only a few of the well-known bands recorded it; these includedTommy DorseyandDuke Ellington.[1]Since the 1950s, the song has been associated withtradbands.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcdefghijGioia, Ted (2012).Jazz Standards.Oxford University Press.pp. 31–32.
- ^Aberjhani; West, Sandra L. (2003).Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance.Facts on File. p. 136.ISBN978-1-4381-3017-0.
- ^Cartwright, Garth (2009).More Miles than Money: Journeys Through American Music.Serpent's Tail. p. 246.ISBN978-1-84765-298-0.
- ^Bearden, William (2006).Memphis Blues: Birthplace of a Music Tradition.Arcadia. p. 23.ISBN0-7385-4237-7.
