| "Beale Street Blues" | |
|---|---|
 Sheet music cover | |
| Song by Gilda Gray | |
| Published | 1917 |
| Genre | Blues |
| Songwriter(s) | W.C. Handy |
"Beale Street Blues" is a song by American composer and lyricist W.C. Handy. It was named after Beale Street, a center of African-American music in Memphis, Tennessee, and was published in 1917.
Background
The title refers to Beale Street in 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
"Beale Street Blues" "juxtaposes the 12-bar blues form 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
The publication of the song coincided with the beginning of jazz recordings. [1] An early version by Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band earned Handy's firm $2,857 in royalties. [1] A version by singer Marion Harris was 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
Jack Teagarden used the song as a vocal showcase in the 1930s and 1940s, and recorded it with several bands in that period. [1] In the big band era, only a few of the well-known bands recorded it; these included Tommy Dorsey and Duke Ellington. [1] Since the 1950s, the song has been associated with trad bands. [1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gioia, 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. ISBN 978-1-4381-3017-0.
- ^ Cartwright, Garth (2009). More Miles than Money: Journeys Through American Music. Serpent's Tail. p. 246. ISBN 978-1-84765-298-0.
- ^ Bearden, William (2006). Memphis Blues: Birthplace of a Music Tradition. Arcadia. p. 23. ISBN 0-7385-4237-7.
