Carmell Jones - Willow Weep for Me

It was the fusion of styles and cultures described by Gordon that gave birth to the Memphis blues, sometime around 100 years ago. Musicians such as Furry Lewis and Memphis Minnie sang and played guitar, while Memphis Jug Band popularized a style played on kazoos, washboard, and guitars, with the bass created by blowing across the tops of jugs.

But while such music enjoyed a passionate local following, it was WC Handy who is generally credited with having popularized the blues and taking it to the world at large. Known as the Father Of The Blues, his Memphis Blues, published in 1912, was a game changer. By Handy’s own admission, his was an attempt to apply primitive, southern tendencies to use flattened thirds and sevenths in a major key, and bring it to a more sophisticated audience. These flattened notes became known as the blue notes. This was a distinct departure... but as it turned out, it touched the spot.

The popularity of the blues grew, but in the aftermath of World War II, things began to change quickly. As more and more musicians fled the extreme poverty of the south in search of fame and fortune, the city’s Beale Street became flooded with blues clubs and bars, where hopefuls would plug in their guitars and play louder, more driven blues.

Source: Walking In Memphis: A Guide To The Birthplace Of Rock’n’Roll by Paul McGuinness

Carmell Jones - Willow Weep for Me

• Written by: Ann Ronell
• First recorded on: May 8, 1965
• Released on: Jay Hawk Talk album

"Quite active in Europe, Carmell Jones was largely forgotten by the time he moved back to Kansas City in 1980. In 1982, an album for Revelation helped remind a few listeners of his excellent hard bop trumpet."

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