Here's a varied collection of blues and blues-related examples, many in the 12-bar frame but including others that depart from the expected in various ways, all in .mp3 format, and located [for copyright reasons] in a folder accessible only from the W&L network. I've organized them in one of the many ways one might choose... and I'm still thinking of others to add, and various alternate arrays. What I'd like you to do is... something in response. Could be an examination/analysis of a subset, could be a "what's missing from the set is...", could be an exploration of just one of the examples, could be a contribution of a better example of something that you've located. An 'analysis' could be musical, could be textual, could be something else altogether. Your contribution should take the form of a Web page, linked on your index.html page (and maybe named blues.html, though that level of detail is up to you). By Tuesday 1 February, before class...

Added after Tuesday's class, from Roaring 20s Tunes:

"Wang Wang Blues" The Goofus Five (Little California Ramblers)

"Zulu Blues" Clarence Williams' Dixie Washboard Band. (rec'd 1926)

"Guitar Blues" Eddie Lang - Lonnie Johnson guitar duet. Rec'd:May 7, 1929. Okeh label in New York City

"The Black Bottom" as Perry Bradford's Gang recorded it for Okeh In New York City, December, 1926. Regarding this tune, Mr Verne Buland writes: "This one (at least to me) carrys quite a bit of historical significance. This is the ORIGINAL "Black Bottom" dance played by the band of the man that wrote the song-Perry Bradford. Perry wrote the song in Nashville, TN. in 1919. His sheet music had the dance instructions also printed on them." [this one is in .ogg format, and I'd like to know if anybody has trouble playing it. If you can play it, there's another set from the same site, all in .ogg format]

"The Black Bottom" played by Johnny Hamp's Kentucky Serenaders. (Victor Orthophonic 20102-B)

In 1924 the stage play "Dinah" introduced the Black Bottom to the public and almost overnight the song became as popular as the Charleston. Ann Pennington and Tom Patricola did a famous rendition of the Black Bottom in the George White Scandals of 1926. Jelly Roll Morton wrote a song called Black Bottom Stomp and there was a town called "Black Bottom" in Detroit, Michigan. The shows in which the Black Bottom was used goes on and on. The dance featured the slapping of the, uh, er, backside while hopping forward and backward, stamping the feet and gyrations of the pelvis. Quite suggestive for the time.

"St.Louis Blues" Frank Ferera and John Paaluhi - A Hawaiian guitar duet! The song was composed by: W.C. Handy and recorded by Edison Diamond Disc (Matrix number: 10561-A-1-1) September 04, 1925. It was a test pressing and was never released!

"Wildman Blues" Johnny Dodds' Black Bottom Stompers (featuring Louis Armstrong). Rec'd: Brunswick in Chicago on April 22, 1927. Black Bottom Stompers included: Charlie Alexander-Piano, Louis Armstrong-Cornet, Barney Bigard-Tenor Saxophone, Baby Dodds-Drums & Vocals, Johnny Dodds-Clarinet & Leader, Natty Dominique-Cornet, Earl Hines-Piano, George Mitchell-Cornet, Bud Scott-Banjo, John Thomas-Trombone.

One Dime Blues (Blind Lemon Jefferson)

And these were in the original set:

Fallin' Down (prison song)

Why Didn't Somebody Tell Me (prison song)

Church House Moan

Oh Death (Bessie Jones)

Blow Gabriel (McIntosh County Shouters)

Mean Old World

Dark was the Night (Blind Willie Johnson)

Prove It on Me (Ma Rainey)

Preachin' the Blues (Bessie Smith)

Handy Man (Ethel Waters)

My Babe (Lonnie Pitchford, one-string guitar) --see some details

Cool Drink of Water (Tommy Johnson 1928) (lyrics)

...bury me... (Robert Johnson at two different speeds)

Me and the Devil (Robert Johnson) (lyrics)

Me and the Devil (Robert Johnson --excerpt at .9 speed)

Hellhound on My Trail (Robert Johnson) (lyrics)

Hellhound on My Trail (Robert Johnson --excerpt at .9 speed)

Hellhound on My Trail (Robert Johnson --excerpt at .8 speed)

Aberdeen Mississippi Blues (Bukka White 1940)

Aberdeen Mississippi Blues Bukka White 196[5?])

Terraplane Blues (Robert Johnson)

Dust My Broom (Robert Johnson)

Dust My Broom (Elmore James) (lyrics)

Killing Floor Blues (Skip James 1931) (lyrics)

Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues (Skip James 1964)

Fixin' to Die (Bukka White 1940) (lyrics)

Shetland Pony Blues (Son House 1941)

Devil Got My Woman (Skip James 1931) (lyrics)

Devil Got My Woman (Skip James 1964)

Juke Blues (Little Walter, with Muddy Waters)

Roll and Tumble (Hambone Willie Newbern 1929)

Dough Roller Blues (Garfield Akers) (lyrics)

I Be's Troubled (Muddy Waters 1941) (lyrics)

Rollin' and Tumblin' (Muddy Waters 1950)

Rolled and Tumbled (Rose Hemphill and Fred McDowell)

Minglewood Blues Cannon's Jug Stompers with Noah Lewis [harp] (see details from a Deadhead site)

Last Kind Words (Geechie Wiley) (lyrics)

Pick Poor Robin Clean (Geechie Wiley) --see lyrics and another version

Diddie Wa Diddie (Blind Blake) (lyrics, and sequel ...and the R. Crumb quote corrected: "Mr. Natural, what does Diddy-wah-diddy mean? Lady, if you don`t know by now, don`t mess with it!")

Trouble Late Last Night (Lottie Murrell)

Rotation Blues (Bill Monroe 1951) (lyrics)

That's All Right (Big Boy Crudup/ Elvis Presley)

Ball and Chain (Big Mama Thornton) (lyrics)

Hound Dog (Big Mama Thornton 1953) (lyrics)

Honky Tonk Train Blues (Meade Lux Lewis)

Boogie Woogie Jump (Pete Johnson and Albert Ammons)

Blues in B (Charlie Christian, waiting for Benny Goodman to arrive)

Blues 5 Spot (Thelonious Monk Quartet) (1958)

Son House Death Letter Blues lyrics