"West End Blues"
Listening Guide
Listening Guide
Composer: Joe "King" Oliver
Composition: Louis Armstrong: "West End Blues"
Date: 1928
Genre: Early jazz or "Dixieland"
Form: 12-bar blues
Performing Forces: Early New Orleans Jazz Instrumentation: Louis Armstrong – trumpet and vocal; Fred Robinson – trombone; Jimmy Strong – clarinet; Earl Hines – piano; Mancy Cara – banjo; Zutty Singleton – drums
What we want you to remember about this composition:
Other things to listen for:
Trumpet.
Improvised lines incorporate dramatic leaps, chromaticism, triplet figures, and elements of the blues.
Full band.
Trumpet plays the melody while clarinet and trombone improvise supporting parts.
Trombone with rhythm section.
Trombone plays the melody.
Clarinet and voice with rhythm section.
Call-and-response melody between clarinet and voice.
Rhythm section featuring piano.Improvised piano solo.