"West End Blues" is a multi-strain 12 bar blues composition by Joe "King" Oliver. It is most commonly performed as an instrumental, although it has lyrics added by Clarence Williams.
King Oliver and his Dixie Syncopaters made the first recording of the tune for Brunswick Records on June 11, 1928.[1] An early vocal version was waxed by Ethel Waters. It is more usually known and performed as an instrumental than a song.
West End, New Orleans
The "West End" of the title refers to a place on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is best known for its seafood restaurants, it used to be a thriving weekend summer resort where live music was often played. In its heyday, West End had dance pavilions and lake bathing as well. The name comes from the fact that West End is at the westernmost point of the lakefront in Orleans Parish, Louisiana, bordering Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
The Armstrong recording
By far the best known recording of "West End Blues" is the 3-minute-plus, 78 RPM record recording made by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five in 1928, considered one of the masterpieces of early jazz.
Louis Armstrong plays trumpet (and does some relaxed scat singing) backed by a band that included the pianist Earl Hines. In an eight-bar trumpet solo near the end of the record, Armstrong played a solo considered among the finest recordings in jazz history.
Other portions of this record also in high regard include the trumpet introduction by Armstrong that begins the song - this cadenza incorporates an almost syncopated opening, the wordless 'scat' singing chorus by Armstrong where he accompanies and varies a melody played by the clarinetist, and a piano solo by Hines. The number is closed by a deft metallic click by drummer Zutty Singleton.
The record was actually recorded multiple times in this one session however mistakes were made so none of the recordings were kept. One of these mistakes referred to by Armstrong many times[citation needed] is where Zutty Singleton drops a cymbal.
This recording by Louis Armstrong was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1974. The version in the list is Louis Armstrong's version.
"West End Blues" has been recorded many times since, usually owing much to the Armstrong version. Jazz writer and historian William Russell has commented that other jazz trumpeters would be better off avoiding the too frequent imitations of Armstrong's introduction on the number; while the most virtuosic may have the technical ability to duplicate Armstrong's notes, they still suffer in comparison to Armstrong's feeling and originality.
Footnotes
- ^ Laird, Ross. Brunswick Records: A Discography of Recordings, 1916-1931, Greenwood Press (2001), page 592 - ISBN 0313302081
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