St. Louis blues (music)

For other uses, see St. Louis Blues (disambiguation).

St Louis blues
Stylistic origins	Blues, jump blues, ragtime and piano blues
Cultural origins	1950s St. Louis, Missouri
Typical instruments	Piano, singers, drums, bass, acoustic or electric guitars.

St. Louis blues is a type of blues music. It is usually more piano-based than other forms of the blues, and is closely related to the jump blues, ragtime and piano blues. It is sometimes performed to a "Saint Louis shuffle" beat; a drum rhythm with heavy on-the-beat accents. It can often be made up of a small number of singers, a pianist and a few other musical instruments (used primarily for rhythm) to make up a band, but it is also common for guitarists to take the lead, even to play parts normally played on piano.

Notable musicians

• Chuck Berry
• James Crutchfield
• Teddy Darby
• Walter Davis
• James "Stump" Johnson
• Jeremiah Johnson
• Johnnie Johnson
• Lonnie Johnson
• Charley Jordan
• Robert Nighthawk
• Yank Rachell
• Bennie Smith
• Roosevelt Sykes
• Henry Townsend
• Ike Turner
• Albert King
• Little Milton

See also

"St. Louis Blues (song)" for the W. C. Handy song.