| ST.
LOUIS BLUES HISTORY MAILBAG |
 Q:
Do you have information on blues in St Louis during the 19-teens
through 1950s?
A: It sounds like you were in north St Louis and yes, it
gets rough up there. A number of people want to go into East St Louis
when they visit to see Peetie Wheatstraw's old stomping grounds and
it's really rough over there too. In
St Louis around the turn of the century, the Mississippi levee at
the foot of the Eads bridge was the hub of the city. Ragtime grew
up in the red-light houses and winerooms of the Chestnut Valley area,
up Market Street from the river. This was also where the Jazz of St
Louis sprouted.
The Blues of the city grew up along Morgan Avenue. Morgan ran from
the levee out into the northern half of the city. Deep Morgan was
the downtown section of Morgan Street. The barbershops, poolhalls,
saloons and house parties in Deep Morgan was where the piano, guitar,
and harmonica players performed.At this time, there is no one primary
source for information about Deep Morgan. Newspapers of the time and
various chapters in books have yielded descriptions of the area. It
was very poor and slum-like. In Census descriptions there were many
'boarding houses' and saloons.It can be said that the riverfront boats
had Jazz players who had been to New Orleans and points south, but
it would be incorrect to describe the music in the city as "music
that migrated with rural southerners".
St Louis developed it's own sound, especially with guitar and piano
duets.
The guitar is not of the delta sound and the piano is not like the
southern styles. St Louis music grew here out of ragtime and many
other styles. Many of the musicians who played here and recorded from
here were born here. Of the ones that arrived here, perhaps less than
a handful were from the delta.
Have a Blues History question?
Send
it on over to Kevin, and we'll add it to the Mailbag.
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