300NE W ORLE ANS

TRICENTENNIAL

1718 ~ 2018

Even the blues produced in the city are considered by some to be “cheerful” because of the pre-dominance of piano and horn, rather than guitar. Yet variations of the blues persist, especially in the city’s rhythm and blues. Mu-sicians in the city played the 12-bar blues before they played jazz. Buddy Bolden was well known for his blues playing, and one of the earliest jazz records was Jelly Roll Morton’s “Jelly Roll Blues.” Another early jazz record, the Original Dixieland Jass Band’s “Livery Stable Blues,” is in a fast blues form.

There are some blues stand-outs though, including Guitar Slim, who came to New Orleans from Mississippi and had a ma-jor hit in 1954 with “The Things That I Used to Do.” Earl King composed “Come On,” which became a blues standard. Profes-sor Longhair, James Booker and Snooks Eaglin also released and played the New Orleans-tinged blues.

Ferd ‘Jelly Roll’ Morton’s ‘The Jelly Roll Blues,’ a mixture of ragtime and blues, is con-sidered by some experts to be the first jazz record.

Original Dixieland ‘Jass’ Band

Earl King Guitar Slim

Maybe because no one in New Orleans can stay down for long, the blues in the city are a minor, but important, note in the city’s musical history.

‘The Things That I Used

to Do,’ by Guitar Slim,

was released in 1953.

From Bienville to Bourbon Street to bounce. 300 moments that make New Orleans unique. WHAT

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