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Mildred Bailey - Heather On The Hill

One of the most widespread of early musical forms among southern blacks was the spiritual. Neither black versions of white hymns nor transformations of songs from Africa, spirituals were a distinctly African American response to American conditions. They expressed the longing of slaves for spiritual and bodily freedom, for safety from harm and evil, and for relief from the hardships of slavery.

Ragtime became the first nationally popular form of American music in 1899... But ragtime was not new in 1899. Documents reveal that it was being played as early as the 1870s. Black musicians spoke of ragging a tune when describing the use of syncopated rhythms, whether in classical compositions, popular songs, or genteel dance tunes. While black musicians could rag tunes on any instrument, the music we call ragtime developed when the piano replaced the violin as the favorite instrument for dance accompaniment.


Mildred Bailey - Heather On The Hill
  • Genre: Jazz
  • Released in: 1985
  • Arranged by: Julian C. Work

"Mildred Bailey often utilized her husband, xylophonist/vibraphonist Red Norvo. Though she and Norvo later divorced, Bailey continued to perform and record during the 1940s."

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Location: United States

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