[78-L] A. Maggio interview about his "I Got The Blues" 1908

[Joe Scott]

P.S. In his 1920s interview with Dorothy Scarborough, Handy indicated, probably accurately, that he'd known "Joe Turner" in the 1890s. So Handy didn't think the first time he heard 12-bar material with repetitive lyrics happened to be that time he heard that guy (but he did say he thought that guy's was the weirdest music he had heard, and suggested a Hawaiian connection).
Joseph Scott
----- Original Message -----
From: Joe Scott
Sent: 03/24/14 09:41 AM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: Re: [78-L] A. Maggio interview about his "I Got The Blues" 1908

I was referring to Maggio publishing a "Blues" before Handy. The Tutwiler guy was only one of many folk musicians Handy was influenced by (Handy knew "Joe Turner" under multiple titles, e.g.) and the Tutwiler guy, more likely in 1905 or 1904 than 1903, sang a 12-bar song that didn't mention the "blues," which was a combination that had been popular among Southern blacks (and to some extent others, e.g. Hughie Cannon's "You Needn't Come Home" 1901) since about 1895. The guy Maggio heard mentioned the "blues" in connection with 12-bar, a combination that only became popular about 1906 or so. The word "blues" was still only in about 2 percent of all Southern black folk songs as of about 1908 judging from all the stuff E.C. Perrow and Howard Odum collected about then, and in e.g. none of the songs Charles Peabody collected in MS in about 1901. Joseph Scott ----- Original Message ----- From: eugene hayhoe Sent: 03/22/14 04:31 PM To: 78-L Mail List Subject: Re: [78-L] A. Maggio interview about his "I Got The Blues" 1908 1903 is the date that I've always seen given for Handy's encounter in Tutwiler: http://www.msbluestrail.org/blues-trail-markers/w-c-handy -------------------------------------------- On Sat, 3/22/14, Joe Scott <joenscott at mail.com> wrote: Subject: Re: [78-L] A. Maggio interview about his "I Got The Blues" 1908 To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com> Date: Saturday, March 22, 2014, 2:59 PM In 1955 Antonio Maggio was asked about his 1908 12-bar "I Got The Blues." He said he based it on a tune he heard a black guitarist playing in 1907; he asked the guy what the tune was called and he said "I Got The Blues." So almost exact parallel to Handy there, but earlier. He also remarked that the tune was a success for him (2000 copies sold quickly, and it was well-liked onstage) but he didn't pursue bluesy music further because it didn't interest him much. Joseph Scott _______________________________________________ 78-L mailing list 78-L at klickitat.78online.com http://klickitat .78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l _______________________________________________ 78-L mailing list 78-L at klickitat.78online.com http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l _______________________________________________ 78-L mailing list 78-L at klickitat.78online.com http://klickitat.78online.com/mailman/listinfo/78-l