The History and Origins of Early Dance Music and Jazz in Sound

Songs

      Minstrel music brought to the world stage the music of the Negro; the Cakewalk brought syncopation to popular music and evolved into ragtime music which became a musical era in world popular music. Even musicians such as J. P. Sousa performed early cakewalks. Sousa was responsible for bringing ragtime to Europe. Jazz matured during the Chicago era of jazz emphasizing the element of improvisation, thus beginning the "Jazz Age." 

The Boatman Song - 1843 - Dan Emmett

Written in the same year as the first performance of the Virginia Minstrels in 1843, its words depict a reflection of life on the Ohio River. We see a caricature on the cover of the sheet music of the four original minstrels playing violin, banjo, tambourine and bones (castanets). The chorus appears to have originally been sung by Ohio River boatmen. Additional words are by Dan Emmett. The song has passed into the tradition of American Folklore. The Minstrel show, the only original entertainment form of American music, is a direct ancestor of jazz, its appearance on the music scene enabled Black entertainers to enter the entertainment field of America.

The Entertainer Rag - 1902 - Scott Joplin

Deep River - Arrg. H. T. Burleigh - c.18^th Century

The Negro spiritual holds a place of importance in the development of early American music. The art of singing a spiritual demanded a style and talent to embellish a melody. This technique of improvising was one of the main influences in the development and evolution of the jazz style, and was to be one of the most exciting elements of jazz. Preserving these early spirituals - an oral music - was long neglected, either from a lack of foresight, and/or the difficulty of notating an oral musical technique, a style that presented a different performance each time. Through the dedication and foresight of a few, some of these early spirituals were preserved.  Such a man was Robert Emmett Kennedy, from Algiers, Louisiana. Kennedy wrote both the lyric and music of the spirituals he heard around the New Orleans area. These may be found in his books: "Mellows," and "More Mellows. ("Mellows has been reprinted and is available from Basin Street Press)

An emphasis and the realization of the importance of using American national music of the Negro and the American Indian musical heritage was created by the visit of the world renown composer Anton Dvorak in 1897. Through the influence of Dvorak, a number of American composers began using Negro and Indian melodies as compositional material. H. T. Burleigh, a pupil of Dvorak, published a number of spirituals in his rich harmonic style, one of which is "Deep River."

Philo Senate March - 1894 - R. B. Hall

The Philo Senate March is a typical late 19^th century march as played by the bands of the late 19^th century for either a street march or as a two-step in the dance hall. The march style and form at this time was but one step away from the added syncopation rhythm that led to ragtime. This evolution continued in the musical evolution of jazz.

The Black Queen Quadrille - 1886 - R. Schlepagrell

Perhaps the most popular social dance in the city of New Orleans, a French and Spanish City, was the Quadrille (Sic: a small square). The Quadrille is best described as a type of square dance but with more 'polite' movements, more grace, and more formal calls. It is a series of settings that alternate between the meters of 2/4 and 6/8. The movements were never in any set rhythmic pattern.   

Comus Waltz - 1856 - A. Dennis

One of the earliest pieces of music that the John Robichaux music library housed at the Tulane University Jazz Archives in New Orleans, is the Comus Waltz. It is a great example of the waltz genre, with beautiful but simple melodic lines and stable basic harmonic structures, never going far from its D major center of the first section. The waltz, when first introduced, was considered a very 'risqué' dance, and one of the first to have the two partners hold each other. It is one of the most graceful dances in dance history.  

Hello My Baby - 1986 - Howard/Emerson

No less than Johannes Brahms was a fan of this song. He heard a lady performer playing the banjo and singing this song in a Paris nightclub. He remarked how he really loved the rhythmic structure. Unfortunately, Brahms died before he was able to use the rhythm in a composition. Brahms had used syncopation in parts of his music, but never writing a full composition featuring syncopation. Ragtime was the first style of music to use this rhythmic element throughout a complete composition. Perhaps, in his way, he paved the way for the syncopated rhythm of jazz. This arrangement begins with three sections of unfamiliar melodies, but ends with the familiar melody of "Hello My Baby."  

Cotton Pickers Rag and Cakewalk - 1899 - William Braun

One of the most popular arrangements in new Orleans during its publication, the song is a great example of the cakewalk genre and its evolution to ragtime. The composer, William Braun, was born in New Orleans in 1967. He became a prominent band-leader in the city and was most famous for his association with the Rex Carnival Krewe and the Pan-American Life Insurance Company Band. He was associated with a great number of New Orleans Jazz musicians such as Nick LaRocca, Emmett Hardy and Eddie Edwards. He died in 1942.  

Southern Hospitality - 1899 - Arthur Pryor

Marked a 'ragtime/cakewalk,' we find the name of Sousa's Band under Arthur Pryor's name on the composers' credit. The introduction has an interesting use of the cakewalk rhythm in tutti unison. It is marked, 'Marcia Moderato' again linking the cakewalk music to the march and brass bands. Using both the cakewalk rhythm and the syncopation of ragtime it is a bridge between the two styles that led to jazz.  

Peaceful Henry - 1902 - E. H. Kelly

Written by E. H. Kelly, it was a 'hit' instrumental piece and is notated as a 'slow drag.' It was named after an old black janitor in the basement of the building used for band rehearsals, and was nicknamed 'Peaceful Henry.' It was published by a Detroit Press and has a picture of a Negro youth on the sheet music cover. It is very melodic and a charming piece of music.  

Alexander's Ragtime Band - 1911 - Irving Berlin

Written by the famous Irving Berlin, it became one of the most popular and influential pieces of the early 20^th century. It paved the way for the beginnings of the famous 'Tin Pan Alley.' Berlin was a popular song-writer and whatever was popular and selling at the time was the style of his next composition. Alexander was the nickname used when persons of authority referred to a Negro orchestra leader. Thus the name of the song was typical of the Negro jazz band. It is played from the original arrangement published in 1911. Listen for quotes from 'Swanee River' and 'Dixie.'

I Got The Blues - 1908 - A. Maggio

While the origin of the blues is clouded, its popularity is not. Many of the early jazz bands such as those led by Chris Kelly and Buddy Bolden had a repertoire that was blues oriented. As the blues gained popularity, Tin Pan Alley began publishing blues arrangements, many of which were not in the traditional 12 bar blues progression. One of the earliest published blues 'I Got The Blues' was published in New Orleans in 1908 by A. Maggio, a local band leader. There is a section using the minor form of the blues. I believe that it is an attempt by the arranger to orchestrate a true Negro blues.  

Little By Little - 1912 - J. W. Leopold

This song, marked 'march and two-step' is in the typical song style of the early decades of the 20^th century. It is the beneficiary of the past evolution of American popular music, from the quadrille to the cakewalks and rags, and the popular music heard on the Broadwalk of Atlantic City. I challenge you not to like this charming melody. Close your eyes and imagine you are back in the 20^th century, walking in the park while the band is playing on the town bandstand.  

Jelly Bean - 1920 - Joe Verges

Written in song form, using simple harmonies and with the use of some syncopation, 'Jelly Bean' is a well-written and 'swingin' jazz arrangement by Joe Verges. Verges was born in New Orleans, La. in c1883. Having an early interest in music as a youngster, he entered vaudeville in the early 1900's and among his associates was Eddie Edwards, the trombonist in the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Verges' early success in song writing began in 1915 with the song, 'Don't Leave Me Daddy,' which became a local hit. Jelly Bean is typical of the early jazz songs being played by jazz/dance ensembles, and is the result of early ragtime elements and influences.  

I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate - 1922 - A. J. Piron

A controversy remains to this day about the composer of this tune. Louis Armstrong said he wrote it. Piron and Clarence Williams have their name on the publication, which was published by Williams Publishing company in New York in 1922. Piron had it copyrighted in 1919.

It is written that Louis Armstrong did compose 'Sister Kate.' His title was 'Up in Maddie's Bunk,' and Armstrong sold it to Piron for $52. 'Sister Kate' was never recorded by Armstrong as he felt Piron took advantage of him and therefore did not want to contribute to Piron's royalties by recording it. For some strange reason, Piron himself never recorded the tune.  

War Cloud - 1919 - Nick LaRocca & Larry Shields

'War Cloud,' also recognized as 'Fidgety Feet,' begins with an introduction that uses the cakewalk rhythm and proceeds to a 16^th note theme reminiscent of the '12^th Street Rag.' This has a quasi stop-time part that begins the second section. The name was given to the band's piece 'Fidgety Feet' to help sell the arrangement as it was a fad to give new songs an interesting name. While the melody for the first section is in 16^th notes, it is contrasted in the trio with a long not theme that sounds more like the trio of a march. Composer credit is given to Nick LaRocca and Larry Shields. It is labeled a 'one-step.' Perhaps the most familiar recording of the song was by the famous wolverine Orchestra that included 'Bix.'  

New Orleans Stomp - 1924 - Louis Armstrong

New Orleans Stomp was written by Louis and Lil Armstrong about two years after Armstrong joined 'King' Oliver in Chicago. There is no real definition of a 'stomp.' Old timers say you stop your feet to each beat. In 'New Orleans Stomp' the trio contains heavy accented quarter notes, four beats to a bar which is a characteristic of stomp time.

Snag It - 1926 - 'King' Oliver

Once jazz reached Chicago and moved onto the national scene, it became the most popular dance music around. No one group did more to shape the jazz style of this era then the Joe 'King' Oliver Jazz Band with Louis Armstrong on trumpet. Though only on the scene for a brief time, Oliver's place in jazz history is secure, thanks to the influence of his ensemble.

'Snag It' is a true blues and was a big hit in its time. In it we hear minor blues and the traditional jazz riff that leads to the blues choruses. The tempo is taken fast on the record - usual for the day so that the whole composition could be heard on one side of the disc. It should be taken at a slower tempo that would have been played in life performances for dancing.

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