Roots of Jazz and Blues with King Henry

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

Visit the official show website at WAYOFM.org or explore the copy here.

Join King Henry on a 50-year journey through Jazz and Blues from the earliest recorded music through the 1960's. We will hear how Jazz and Blues evolved from Ragtime and Mississippi Delta Blues to Cool Jazz and Electric Blues. Some of the records we will hear are over 100 years old and are from King Henry's personal collection. Episodes will include:

• The transition from Ragtime to Jazz, featuring the music of W.C. Handy and Wilbur Sweatman
• Mississippi Delta Blues, featuring Charlie Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and Tommy Johnson
• The origins of New Orleans Jazz, featuring Kid Ory, King Oliver, and Jelly Roll Morton
• The great classic female Blues singers, featuring Mamie Smith and Ma Rainey
• Swing Jazz, featuring Fletcher Henderson, Glenn Miller, and Duke Ellington
• Country Blues, including the Memphis Jug Band, the Memphis Sheiks, Blind Boy Fuller, and Memphis Minnie
• Bebop Pioneers, including Earl Hines, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillepsie, and Theloneous Monk
• Chicago Blues, including Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, and Cow Cow Davenport
• Hard Bop, including John Coltrane, Donald Byrd, and Sonny Stitt
• Jump and Electric Blues, including Bull Moose Jackson, Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King
• Cool Jazz, with Miles Davis, Chet Baker, and Art Pepper

Even if you are a die-hard jazz or blues fan, you will be sure to discover great music from decades past.

Episode 11 - Cool Jazz

The emergence of cool jazz in the 1950's and early 1960's.

Miles Davis, 1957 (credit: Herman Leonard)

Read a transcript of the episode.

• Art Pepper - Red Car @ 0:00
• Miles Davis - Boblicity @ 2:09
• Miles Davis - So What @ 6:09
• Modern Jazz Quartet - Django @ 15:58
• Modern Jazz Quartet - Versaille @ 23:17
• Miles Davis - Bag's Groove (Take 1) @ 27:03
• Gerry Mulligan Quartet - Walking Shoes @ 30:55
• Gerry Mulligan Quartet - Jeru @ 34:06
• Bill Evans Trio - Alice in Wonderland (Take 2) @ 39:39
• Bill Evans Trio - Waltz for Debbie @ 48:09
• Dave Brubeck - Balcony Rock @ 50:09
• Dave Brubeck - Blue Rondo a la Turk @ 1:02:22
• Henry Manchini - Theme from Peter Gunn @ 1:09:55
• Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd - Desfafinado @ 1:12:53
• Stan Getz - Girl from Ipanema @ 11:18:57
• Art Pepper - Picture of Heath @ 11:22:20
• Art Pepper - Red Car @ 1:29:26

Episode 10 - Electric Blues

Electric and Jump Blues, including Bull Moose Jackson, Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King.

John Lee Hooker (credit: Robert Knight)

Read a transcript of the episode.

• Muddy Waters - I feel like going home @ 0:00
• T-Bone Walker - Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad) @ 4:46
• T-Bone Walker - No Worry Blues @ 7:57
• Big Joe Turner - Piney Brown Blues @ 11:14
• Joe Turner & Pete Johnson - Roll Em Pete @ 16:16
• Bull Moose Jackson - I want a bow legged woman @ 19:43
• H-Bomb Ferguson - Bookie's Blues @ 22:43
• H-Bomb Ferguson - Rock H-Bomb Rock @ 25:24
• Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning @ 28:18
• Howlin' Wolf - Red Rooster @ 31:32
• John Lee Hooker - Boogie Chillen' @ 34:21
• Canned Heat and John Lee Hooker - Meet Me At The Bottom @ 37:49
• B B King - Three O'Clock Blues @ 41:53
• B B King - Don't Answer the Door @ 45:06
• Buddy Guy - First Time I Met the Blues @ 50:58
• Buddy Guy - Tramp @ 53:28
• Junior Kimbrough & The Soul Blues Boys - Done Got Old @ 1:01:11
• Buddy Guy - Done Got Old @ 1:03:48

Episode 9 - Hard Bop

Hard bop jazz in the second half the 1950's and early 1960's.

Wayne Shorter, Art Blakey, and Lee Morgan, 1960

Read a transcript of the episode.

• The Jazz Messengers - Nica's Dream (1956) @ 1:02
• The Jazz Messengers - A Night in Tunisia (1961) @ 13:29
• Horace Silver Quintette - Senor Blues (1956) @ 25:46
• Horace Silver Quintette - Song for My Father (1965) @ 33:01
• Donald Byrd - Soulful Kiddie (1961) @ 41:02
• Donald Byrd - Pure D Funk (1961) @ 50:58
• Sonny Stitt - Morning After Blues (1960) @ 57:45
• Sonny Stitt - Norman's Blues (1957) @ 1:00:50
• John Coltrane - Blue Train (1957) @ 1:04:26
• John Coltrane - Giant Steps (1960) @ 1:15:23
• Cannonball Adderly - Something Else (1958) @ 1:20:54
• Cannonball Adderly - Autumn Leaves (1958) @ 1:29:02
• Sonny Rollins - Blue 7 (1955) @ 1:40:48
• Sonny Rollins - I'm An Old Cow Hand (1958) @ 1:52:52

Episode 8 - Urban Blues

The roots of Urban Blues, including Boogie-Woogie and Chicago Blues.

Muddy Waters, 1950

Read a transcript of the episode.

• Muddy Waters - Country Blues (No. 1) (1941) @ 00:00
• Pinetop Smith - Pinetop's Boogie Woogie (1928) @ 05:14
• Pinetop Smith - Jump Steady Blues (1928) @ 08:35
• Cow Cow Davenport - Cow Cow Blues (1928) @ 12:40
• Cow Cow Davenport - State Street Jive (1928) @ 15:45
• Roosevelt Sykes - 44 Blues (1929) @ 19:35
• Roosevelt Sykes - The Honeydripper (1945) @ 22:24
• Big Bill Broonzy - Conversation With The Blues (1941) @ 26:13
• Big Bill Broonzy - Where the Blues Began (1945) @ 28:56
• Tampa Red - She Want To Sell My Monkey (1942) @ 32:31
• Tampa Red - Grieving Blues (1947) @ 35:48
• Ham Gravy (Washboard Sam) - Mama Don't Allow (1935) @ 39:18
• Washboard Sam - Don't Have to Sing the Blues (1942) @ 42:35
• Little Walter - Juke (1951) @ 46:00
• Little Walter - My Babe(1955) @ 49:00
• Otis Spann - It Must Have Been the Devil (1964) @ 52:01
• Otis Spann - The Hard Way (1960) @ 1:00:46
• Muddy Waters - Rollin Stone (1950) @ 1:01:51
• Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man (1954) @ 1:05:37

Episode 7 - Bebop Pioneers

Origins of Bebop Jazz between 1945 and 1955.

Dizzy Gillespie, 1947

Read a transcript of the episode.

• Dizzy Gillespie - Groovin' High (1945) @ 00:00
• Earl Hines and His Orchestra - Scoops-Carry's-Merry (1945) @ 04:43
• Earl Hines and His Orchestra - Rosetta Alternate Take 4 (1939) @ 07:55
• Coleman Hawkins - Rosetta (1965) @ 11:20
• Coleman Hawkins - Woody 'n You (1944) @ 21:00
• Dizzy Gillespie - Salt Peanuts (1945) @ 24:43
• Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra - Cubana Bop (1947) @ 28:22
• Charlie Parker - Ko Ko (1945) @ 32:32
• Charlie Parker - Mohawk (1950) @ 36:00
• Dexter Gordon & Wardell Gray - The Hunt (1947) @ 40:47
• Dexter Gordon - A Night in Tunisia (1963) @ 51:03
• Thelonious Monk - Thelonious (1947) @ 59:50
• Thelonious Monk - Pannonica (1956) @ 1:03:32
• Bud Powell - Tempus Fugue-it (1950) @ 1:13:16
• Bud Powell - Lullaby of Birdland (1953) @ 1:16:20
• Max Roach Quintet - Drum Conversation (1960) @ 1:19:26
• Max Roach - Blues Waltz (1957) @ 1:26:24
• Charles Mingus - Jump Monk (1955) @ 1:33:27
• Charles Mingus - Pithecanthropus Erectus (1956) @ 1:41:12

Episode 6 - Country Blues

Jug band, Piedmont, and folk blues from the 1920's through 1940's.

Memphis Jug Band at W.C. Handy Park, Memphis, Tennessee

Read a transcript of the episode.

• Jimmie Rodgers & Clifford Hayes's Old Southern Jug Band - My Good Gal's Gone Blues (1923) @ 2:20
• The Dixieland Jug Blowers - Please Don't Holler Mama (1927) @ 5:25
• Memphis Jug Band - Sun Brimmers Blues (1927) @ 8:48
• Memphis Jug Band - Insane Crazy Blues (1927) @ 12:15
• Cannon's Jug Stompers - Minglewood Blues (1928) @ 15:59
• Cannon's Jug Stomper - Walk Right In (1930) @ 19:52
• Mississippi Sheiks - Cracking Them Things (1930) @ 23:34
• Mississippi Sheiks - Sittin' On Top of the World (1930) @ 26:59
• Daddy Stovepipe - Sundown Blues (1924) @ 30:27
• Daddy Stovepipe & Mississippi Sarah - The Spasm (1935) @ 33:51
• Blind Willie McTell - Statesboro Blues (1928) @ 37:46
• Blind Willie McTell - Broke Down Engine Blues (1931) @ 40:46
• Blind Blake - Early Morning Blues (1926) @ 44:22
• Paramount All Stars - Hometown Skiffle (1930) @ 47:49
• Blind Boy Fuller - Little Woman You're So Sweet (1940) @ 54:51
• Blind Boy Fuller - Step It Up and Go (1940) @ 57:34
• Barbecue Bob - Barbecue Blues (1927) @ 1:01:04
• Barbecue Bob - Chocolate to the Bone (1928) @ 1:04:25
• Memphis Minnie and Kansas Joe - I Want That (1929) @ 1:08:07
• Memphis Minnie - Me and My Chauffeur Blues (1941) @ 1:11:20
• Mississippi John Hurt - Avalon Blues(1928) @ 1:14:35
• Mississippi John Hurt - Casey Jones Live at 1963 Newport Jazz Festival @ 1:18:00
• Louie Bluie & Ted Bogan - State Street Rag (1934) @ 1:22:04
• Howard Armstrong - New State Street Rag (1985) @ 1:25:16
• Lightnin' Hopkins & Wilson Smith - Katie May (1946) @ 1:27:58
• Lightnin' Hopkins - Bad Luck and Trouble (1959) @ 1:31:21

Episode 5 - Swing Jazz

Swing Jazz in the 1930's and 1940's.

Benny Goodman

Read a transcript of the episode.

• Cab Calloway - Shot Gun Boogie (partial) (1939) @ 0:00
• Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra - It's The Talk Of The Town (1924) @ 2:45
• Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra - Sugar Foot Stomp (1925) @ 6:47
• Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five - Muggles (1925) @ 10:36
• Louis Armstrong - Lazy River (1931) @ 13:45
• Louis Armstrong - Hello Dolly (partial) (1964) @ 17:11
• Bix Beiderbeck and the Wolverines - Jazz Me Blues (1927) @ 18:15
• Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra - Clementine (1935) @ 21:29
• Benny Goodman - King Porter Stomp (1935) @ 25:46
• Benny Goodman - Don't Be That Way (with Introduction) (1938) @ 30:25
• Lionel Hampton - Dizzy Spells (1938) @ 35:16
• Lionel Hampton and His Orchestra - Muskrat Ramble (1940) @ 38:52
• Artie Shaw - Interlude in B-flat (1936) @ 43:00
• Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - Frenesi (1940) @ 47:42
• All Star Orchestra - Add a Little Wiggle (1928) @ 51:05
• Glenn Miller - Chattanooga Choo Choo (1941) @ 54:45
• Glenn Miller & The Dorsey Brothers - Boogie Woogie (1943) @ 58:45
• Tommy Dorsey - I'll Be Seeing You (1940) @ 1:02:25
• Woody Herman - Woodchoppers Ball (1939) @ 1:06:40
• Woody Herman - Blues in Night (1942) @ 1:10:04
• Duke Ellington - Take the A Train (1941) @ 1:14:09
• Duke Ellington - The Mooch (1940) @ 1:17:30
• Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher (1931) @ 1:23:39
• Cab Calloway - Shot Gun Boogie (1939) @ 1:27:03

Episode 4 - Ma Rainey and Her Daughters

Great female Blues singers of the 1920's and 1930's.

Ma Rainey

Read a transcript of the episode.

• Ma Rainey - Barrel House Blues (1923) @ 1:56
• Ma Rainey - Walking Blues (1928) @ 5:13
• Bessie Smith - Weeping Willow Blues (1924) @ 8:50
• Bessie Smith - The Bye Bye Blues (1924) @ 12:20
• Mamie Smith - Mamie Whip! Mamie Spank! (1921) @ 16:06
• Mamie Smith - I'm Free, Single, Disengaged (1921) @ 19:30
• Lucille Hegamin - Beale St Mama (1922) @ 22:51
• Lucille Hegamin - Aggrivating Papa (1922) @ 26:04
• Rosa Henderson - Every Woman's Blues (1923) @ 29:40
• Edna Hicks - You've Got Everything a Sweet Mama Needs But Me (1923) @ 33:10
• Edna Hicks - Walking and Talking Blues (1923) @ 36:30
• Ida Cox - Graveyard Dream Blues (1923) @ 40:03
• Ida Cox - Weary Way Blues (1923) @ 43:00
• Ethel Waters - Shake That Thing (1925) @ 46:30
• Victoria Spivey - Black Snake Blues (1926) @ 50:26
• Victoria Spivey - Dope Head Blues (1927) @ 53:52
• Hunter & Jenkins - Meat Cuttin Blues (1923) @ 58:05
• Georgia White - I'll Keep Sittin' On It (If I Can't Sell It) (1937) @ 1:01:20
• Lil Johnson - If It Don't Fit Don't Force It (1937) @ 1:05:04

Episode 3 - New Orleans Jazz

The roots of New Orleans Jazz.

Jelly Roll Morton

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• Joe and Cléoma Falcon - Allons à Lafayette (1928) @ 2:00
• Edward "Kid" Ory - Creole Trombone (1922) @ 5:58
• Edward "Kid" Ory - Muskrat Ramble (1954) @ 9:17
• Kid Thomas Valentine & His Algers Stompers - Thats A Plenty (1960) @ 12:38
• King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band - Dipper Mouth Blues (1923) @ 16:27
• King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band - Canal Street Blues (1923) @ 19:04
• King Oliver & The Dixie Syncopaters - Wa-Wa-Wa (1926) @ 21:59
• King Oliver & The Dixie Syncopaters - Aunt Hagars Blues (1928) @ 24:59
• King Oliver & The Dixie Syncopaters (1928) - Speakeasy Blues @ 27:58
• Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers - Original Jelly Roll Blues (1926) @ 31:41
• Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers - Black Bottom Stomp (1926) @ 35:12
• Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers - Doctor Jazz (1926) @ 38:24
• Jelly Roll Morton & His Red Hot Peppers - Red Hot Pepper (1928) @ 42:18
• Jelly Roll Morton - The Naked Dance (1939) @ 45:58

Episode 2 - Delta Blues

The birth of the Mississippi Delta blues, featuring music from the 1920's.

Blind Lemon Jefferson

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• Freddie Spruell - Low Down Mississippi Bottom Man (1928) @ 00:00
• Freddie Spruell - Milk Cow Blues (1926) @ 02:02
• Dinwiddie Colored Quartet - Steal Away (1902) @ 06:10
• The Fisk Jubilee Singers - Swing Low Sweet Chariot (1909) @ 09:41
• Blind Willie Johnson - I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole (1928) @ 12:56
• Blind Willie Johnson - Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed (1928) @ 16:14
• Charlie Patton - Jesus Is A Dying Bed Maker (1929) @ 19:55
• Charlie Patton - Lord I'm Discouraged (1930) @ 23:09
• Blind Lemon Jefferson - All I Want Is The Pure Religion (1925) @ 26:50
• Chain Gang, Augusta Georgia - Waterboy (1929) @ 31:09
• John Lomax Recording at Oakley Farm, Mississippi - Stewball (1933) @ 32:43
• Blind Lemon Jefferson - Blind Lemon's Penitentiary Blues (1928) @ 37:28
• Blind Lemon Jefferson - Lectric Chair Blues (1928) @ 40:14
• Blind Lemon Jefferson - Rising High Water Blues (1927) @ 43:24
• Charlie Patton - High Water Everywhere (1927) @ 45:52
• Charlie Patton - Mississippi Bo Weavil Blues (1927) @ 49:41
• Blind Lemon Jefferson - Broke and Hungry (1927) @ 52:53
• Tommy Johnson - Cool Drink of Water Blues (1928) @ 56:22
• Ishman Bracey - The Four Days Blues (1928) @ 1:00:25
• Tommy Johnson - Alcohol and Jake Blues (1930) @ 1:04:09
• Tommy Johnson - Canned Heat Blues (1928) @ 1:08:30
• Freddie Spruell - Low Down Mississippi Bottom Man (1928) @ 1:12:52

Episode 1 - Birth of Jazz

The transition from Ragtime to Jazz.

W. C. Handy

Read a transcript of the episode.

• Fred Van Eps - Maple Leaf Rag (1908) @ 01:54
• Fred Van Eps - Ragtime Picking (1911) @ 04:42
• Prince's Band - Memphis Blues (1914) @ 09:32
• Prince's Band - St Louis Blues (1915) @ 13:51
• Original Dixieland Jazz Band - Livery Stable Blues (1917) @ 18:59
• Handys Orchestra - Livery Stable Blues (1917) @ 22:55
• Handys Orchestra - A Bunch of Blues (1917) @ 26:37
• Handys Orchestra - That "Jazz" Dance (1917)@ 30:01
• Earl Fuller's Famous Jazz Band - Jazz De Lux (1918) @ 34:58
• Wilbur Sweatman - Rainy Day Blues (1919)@ 40:47
• Wilbur Sweatman - Ja-Da (1919) @ 43:10
• Wilbur Sweatman - I Aint Gonna Give Nobody None O This Jellyroll (1919) @ 48:06
• Wilbur Sweatman - Kansas City Blues (1919) @ 51:03