Ma Rainey

She was born April 26, 1886 by the name of Gertude Pridgett in Columbus, Georgia. Her parents were a part of a minstrel troupers and their names were Thomas Pridgett Sr and Ella Allen-Pridgett. "Mother of the Blues" was the name that people knew her by and she performed during the first three decades of the 20th century. She was also the first to incorporate authentic blues in her songs. She performed as a singer and dancer in a talent show called "A Bunch of Blackberries" at the Springer Opera House in 1900. February 2, 1904 she married William "Pa" Rainey. They were named "Ma" and "Pa" Rainey and they toured Southern tent shows and cabarets. Daphane Harrison in the Black Pearls wrote: "Her ability to capture the mood and essence of black rural southern life of the 1920s, quickly endeared her to throngs of followers throughout the South". The is a very strong and powerful quote, it says a lot about Rainey and her type of music ability. She earned the reputation as a professional on stage and in business, which is something that other blues musicians didn't. She performed with her Wild Jazz Cats on the TOBA until 1926. After that year she recorded with various musicians on the Paramount label often under the name of Ma Rainey and her Georgia Jazz Band.

http://www.biography.com/people/ma-rainey-9542413

Ma Rainey: Deep Moaning Blues, 1928 AABA form. There is a band and her vocals in the song. In the band there are trumpet, a piano, and an instrument that is being plucked. The song has sort of a relaxing feel to it, its not to fast and its not to slow. Makes you feel like it was recorded during the summer time and Rainey is just relaxing telling a story.

It starts off with the first 2 counts of moaning
Verse 1: 8 counts, her vocals and horns
Verse 2: 8 counts, her vocals and hors
Chorus: its her moaning with horns, piano in the background for about 4 counts
Verse 3: There is an instrument that is being plucked while she sings



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-mRHNAeJXE

Mamie Smith

She was born May 26, 1883 born in Cincinnati, Ohio. There are no birth records on her. Although when she was 10 she toured with a white act called Four Dancing Mitchells. She danced in Salem Tutt Whitney's Smart Set as a teenager. She sang in clubs in Harlem and married a William "Smitty"Smith who was a waiter all in 1913. She was an American vaudeville singer, dancer, pianist and actress, who was featured in a lot of films. While doing all these task she did different styles also such as jazz and blues. She was the first African American artist to make a vocal recording in 1920. Some of the songs she recorded were "Crazy Blues" and Its Right Here For You", and "Okeh Records". With her records doing so well, record companies wanted to find more female blues singers and it formed the classic female blues era. She was featured in the movie "Jail House Blues" in 1929. In 1931 she retired from recording and performing. "Paradise in Harlem" was when she reappeared in 1939, which was produced by her Husband Jack Goldberg.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamie_Smith

Mamie Smith "Crazy Blues". The vocals are by her and then there is a band in the back ground. There is a trumpet, sounds like flutes, and other brass instruments. There is an AABC form here. The song is about how her lover left her and she can't go on without him and she will never forget him.
It starts off with 2 counts of just the horns as the introduction.
The first verse is her singing with the band as the base line. 8 counts
The second verse has sort of a downbeat you can feel like she is getting sad as she sings the song. 8 counts
The bridge her voice goes up very high as she sing with more passion. There are about 4 counts in it.
Chorus: 8 counts and her voice comes back down
Verse: It seems as the trumpets are beginning the play louder showing how passionate and heart broken she is. 8 counts
Verse 8 counts
Chorus: 8 counts
And then the band plays 1 count and she ends the song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaz4Ziw_CfQ

Mary Lou Williams

Mary was born May 8, 1910 in Atlanta, Georgia. Her mother taught her how to play the piano at the early age of 2 years old and had musical memory at the age of 4 years old. She coined the name "the Little Piano girl" at the age of 10 years old and by then was performing in front of small audiences throughout Pittsburgh. At the age of 12 in 1922 she made her debut in the Buzz and Harris Revue traveling show because she substituted for one of their pianist. She had traveled all around and played with many artist as Jelly roll Morton, Willie smith, Fats Waller, and Duke Ellington. In 1927, her husband John Williams joined Andy Kirk and the Twelve clouds of Joy therefore Mary had to take over his band. In 1929 she moved to Oklahoma and joined her husband and Kirk's band. While with Kirk she became known for solo piano and original arrangements likfe "Froggy Bottom", "Walkin' and Swingin'", and "Roll 'Em". She was also a major influence for the Kansas City-Southwest Big Band sound. In 1945 she premiered the first of many large compositions called the 12-movement Zodiac suite. "Capricorn" was created for dancer Pearl Primus who performed at Cafe Society like she did. Mary moved to Europe in 1952 and performed in Paris and London. In 1954 she took a hiatus from the stage for a few years. She returned in 1957 performing at the Newport Jazz Festival and then with her own trio. In 1970 she recorded a comprehensive performance-lecture called "The History of Jazz". Five years later she was appointed to the faculty of University of Massachusetts and in 1977 to the faculty at duke University.

http://www.biography.com/people/mary-lou-williams-9532632?page=2

Mary Lou Williams "You know Baby"
Its a mixture of piano, horns, and Leon Thomas as the vocalist.
It starts off as an introduction with just the horns for the first 15 second and then the piano comes for a second and then Leon Thomas starts singing for 8 counts and then the chorus comes in with the horns as the base line and the piano as an overlay then Leon starts his 2nd 8 count verse there is also a 4 count bridge before repeating back to the chorus. It ends with the band laughing and clapping and just having a good time. The horns keep the beat with throughout the whole song and the piano gives it a little bit of sassyness to it as it is tricked through out the song. Leon has a strong, powerful, commanding voice that just makes you want to listen to what hes singing about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAZeukY1AMM