Saint Louis Blues (song) - Performances

Performances

Writing about the first time "St Louis Blues" was played (1914), Handy notes that "The one-step and other dances had been done to the tempo of Memphis Blues... When St Louis Blues was written the tango was in vogue. I tricked the dancers by arranging a tango introduction, breaking abruptly into a low-down blues. My eyes swept the floor anxiously, then suddenly I saw lightning strike. The dancers seemed electrified. Something within them came suddenly to life. An instinct that wanted so much to live, to fling its arms to spread joy, took them by the heels."

Researcher Guy Marco, in his book Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound in the United States, stated that the first audio recording of "Saint Louis Blues" was by Al Bernard in July 1918 on the record company label Aeolian-Vocalion (cat. no. 12148). This is however not true, since Columbia's house band, directed by Charles A. Prince, had recorded a released instrumental version already in December 1915 (Columbia A5772). Bernard's version may have been the first US issue to include the lyrics though. However, by then Ciro's Club Coon Orchestra, a group of black American artists appearing in Britain, had already recorded a version including the lyrics in September 1917 (UK Columbia 699).

Since the 1910s, the number has enjoyed great popularity not only as a song but also as an instrumental.

Many of jazz's most well-known artists in history have given renowned performances of the tune. The following is an incomplete list of the hundreds of musicians of renown who recorded "Saint Louis Blues," chosen as examples that are early in their careers and in the era of its greatest popularity.

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• 1920 – Marion Harris
• 1921 – Original Dixieland Jass Band
• 1922 – W. C. Handy
• 1925 – Bessie Smith, backed by Louis Armstrong on cornet and Fred Longshaw on harmonium. One of the most famous versions.
• 1927 – Sylvester Weaver
• 1928 – Al Bernard as "John Bennett" (Madison 1642)
• 1929 – Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra with Henry "Red" Allen
• 1930 – Rudy Vallee, Cab Calloway, the Mills Brothers, the Boswell Sisters, Jim Jackson
• 1933 – The Whiskey Bottle Boys, played on a water bottle xylophone
• 1934 – Paul Robeson recorded it in London on February 20, 1934. It was released by EMI on the His Master's Voice label B 8219.
• 1935 – Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli
• 1935 – Bob Wills
• 1939 – Benny Goodman
• 1940 – Earl Hines rendition titled "Boogie Woogie On The St. Louis Blues". Hines can be heard saying, "Aw, play it till 1951", the year the original copyright was to expire.
• 1943 – Glenn Miller "St. Louis Blues -- March" as played by the U.S. Army Air Force Band, of which Miller was the commander.
• 1949 – Art Tatum
• 1952 – Chet Atkins on his first recording, Chet Atkins' Gallopin' Guitar
• 1953 – Billy Eckstine with Metronome All-Stars: recorded by Roy Eldridge, Kai Winding, John LaPorta, Warne Marsh, Lester Young, Teddy Wilson, Billy Bauer, Eddie Safranski, Terry Gibbs, Max Roach
• 1954 – Louis Armstrong recorded the song numerous times, including a version on Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy.
• 1950s – Moon Mullican sang and played the song on the Grand Ol' Opry.
• 1956 – The Teen Kings, featuring Roy Orbison - "St. Louis Blues" and other songs recorded at KOSA-TV, Odessa, Texas, 1956.
• 1957 – Louis Prima recorded the song on the album The Wildest Comes Home!.
• 1958 – The release of St. Louis Blues, a biopic of Handy, who had died earlier in the year. The star of the film, Nat King Cole, recorded an album of songs from the film, and fellow star, Ella Fitzgerald incorporated the song into her repertoire.
• 1959 – John Fahey recorded the song on the album Blind Joe Death, re-recorded in 1967.
• 1964 – Judy Garland and Martha Raye performed it as the final piece in a medley of Glenn Miller songs on The Judy Garland Show.
• 1964 – Chuck Berry recorded a version for Chuck Berry in London.
• 1967 – Mina sang an orchestra version at Italian TV program Sabato Sera (Saturday night).
• 1968 – Paul McCartney used this song to set the mood for the recording sessions for 'Hey Jude' and The Beatles can be heard busking the tune on the many bootleg recordings of the sessions.
• 1970 – Jula de Palma sang a beat version of this song in a successful concert recorded on the LP Jula al Sistina.
• 1973 – Enrique Villegas
• 1976 – The Flamin' Groovies on Shake Some Action (Chuck Berry's version)
• 1985 – Doc Watson recorded the song on the album Pickin' the Blues and has played his version for many years.
• 1986 – Hank Williams Jr. recorded the song as part of a medley on Montana Cafe.
• 1994 – George Thorogood & the Destroyers performed the song with Johnnie Johnson at Mississippi Nights, which was released on Thorogood's 1995 album Live: Let's Work Together
• 1998 – Stevie Wonder recorded the song on Herbie Hancock's jazz album Gershwin's World and won the two Grammys in 1999.
• 1999 – Merle Haggard and Asleep at the Wheel performed "St. Louis Blues" on the Bob Wills tribute album Ride with Bob.
• 2001 – Dexter Romweber
• 2002 – Peter Cincotti in his album On the Moon
• 2008 – David Sanborn covered the song from his 2008 release Here & Gone.
• 2008 – Jack Rose on the album Dr. Ragtime & Pals/Self Titled