Re: [Harp-L] The Name "Blues"

[philharpn@xxxxxxx]

Of all the explanations for the origin of the term blues -- mispronouncing blows is the most remote I have ever heard. The problem is that harmonica players erroneously assume that either they invented the blues and/or that they are the only players of blues.


Blues compiler and arranger W.C. Handy and early recordings probably get most of the credit for the standardization of the 8-bar and 12-bar blues. Anyone for some Smith women vaudeville singers, who recorded the first blues songs?


Blues, jazz and ragtime all developed about the same time -- late 1800s and early 1900s -- and share many of the same characteristics. Depending on the marketing, a given song could be sold (printed on the sheet music cover) as any one of the three without a changed note.


If ragtime was selling, that's what the music was called. If blues did better, it was called blues or jazz. This is in spite of how we differentiate the three categories -- even from samples when they first came out.


And all three had in common that they were opposed -- just like rock n roll -- by the established (classically trained) musicians who could tell trash music when they heard and untutored musicians who didn't know how to play their instruments.


It's kind of like the current catch phrase: Friends don't let friends go country.


even though country music today is the most popular music today -- while people old enough to remember don't find it has anything in common with the Carters, Jimmie Rodgers and others who followed in the country music hall of fame. 

Hope this clears everything up,
Phil



-----Original Message-----
From: Harmonicology [Neil Ashby] <harmonicology@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: harp-l <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tue, Jun 3, 2014 9:48 am
Subject: [Harp-L] The Name "Blues"


I was wondering about the origination of the name "Blues" for that style of 
music. Would there be any suggestions on Harp-L?

My theory is that some long time ago then the inquiry was made pertaining to the 
music being produced and the musician responded somehow like "Ah jus' BLEWS into 
the harp and dat sound comes out".

Thus the name "blues" would be the corrupted spelling of "blews".

Any other ideas?

/Neil (" http://thebuskingproject.com/busker/2025/ ")