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STATE STREET RAMBLERS

Biography

The State Street Ramblers were not a traditional band but rather a series of recording sessions led by pianist Jimmy Blythe during the 1920s and early 1930s. Jimmy Blythe, born May 20, 1901, in Louisville, Kentucky, was an influential jazz and boogie pianist who became a prolific recording artist in Chicago. After relocating to Chicago around 1919, Blythe studied under classically trained pianist Clarence M. Jones and quickly adapted to the emerging jazz idiom while maintaining his ragtime roots. The State Street Ramblers represented one of several ensemble names Blythe used for his recording projects, with personnel varying considerably across sessions to accommodate different musical visions and recording label requirements.

Blythe's work with the State Street Ramblers and his other ensembles showcased his mastery of boogie-woogie and hot jazz styles. His recordings, including compositions like 'Kentucky Blues,' demonstrated the synthesis of ragtime, blues, and jazz that characterized Chicago's South Side music scene. Between 1924 and 1931, Blythe accumulated approximately five hundred recordings across solo work, ensemble recordings, and piano rolls—a remarkable feat rarely paralleled in early jazz history. His biggest hit, 'Mecca Flat Blues,' became particularly popular among performers and was published in a Paramount-produced folio. Blythe's prolific output and stylistic innovations made him a significant figure in early jazz history, though he remained relatively obscure outside ragtime and boogie piano circles until later scholarly attention.

Jimmy Blythe's career was cut short when he died on June 21, 1931, in Chicago at age 30. Despite his brief life, his influence on boogie-woogie piano and early jazz recording practices was substantial. The State Street Ramblers recordings remain important documents of 1920s Chicago jazz, capturing the dynamic interplay between ragtime traditions and emerging jazz innovations that defined the era's musical landscape.

Fun Facts

  • Jimmy Blythe is credited as ostensibly the first boogie-woogie pianist to be recorded on record, with his 1924 recordings 'Armour Avenue Struggle' and 'Chicago Stomp' featuring the rolling boogie-woogie blues bass pattern throughout.
  • Blythe recorded approximately 300 piano rolls for Columbia Music Roll Company and Capital Records between 1922-1924, demonstrating exceptional performance skills despite the technical limitations of paper roll recording technology.
  • The 'State Street Ramblers' name referenced Chicago's famous State Street district, home to legendary venues like the Dreamland Café and Lincoln Gardens, where Blythe and his ensembles likely performed.
  • Blythe's wife Aletha Dickerson played a crucial role in his career, starting as a secretary at Paramount Records and eventually helping to cultivate talent and get their works published, including arranging the folio for his hit 'Mecca Flat Blues.'

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

  • Clarence M. Jones - Classically trained pianist who taught Blythe ragtime and jazz performance techniques after Blythe relocated to Chicago (Informal instruction and mentorship) [1919-1922]

Key Collaborators

  • Johnny Dodds - Reed player who recorded with Blythe's various ensembles (State Street Ramblers and other Blythe ensemble recordings) [1920s]
  • Ma Rainey (Gertrude Rainey) - Blues singer accompanied by Blythe on recordings (Vocal accompaniment recordings) [1920s]
  • Sodarisa Miller - Singer accompanied by Blythe on recordings (Vocal accompaniment recordings) [1920s]
  • Alex J. Robinson - Friend and songwriting collaborator with Blythe (Co-written compositions recorded for Paramount Records) [1924-1930]

Artists Influenced

  • Clarence 'Pine Top' Smith - Boogie-woogie pianist whose 'Pine Top's Boogie Woogie' (1928) was influenced by Blythe's 'Jimmie Blues' (1925) (Pine Top's Boogie Woogie) [1928]
  • Albert Ammons - Boogie-woogie pianist influenced by Blythe's pioneering boogie-woogie recordings (Boogie-woogie compositions and style) [1930s onward]

Connection Network

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Discography

Albums

Title Release Date Type
Chicago South Side 1928-31 2009 Album
State Street Ramblers Vol. 1 (1927-1931) 1994 Album
Tiger Moan 2018-09-08 Album
Someday 2018-08-13 Album
Pleasure Mad 2016-05-06 Album

Top Tracks

  1. Oriental Man (State Street Ramblers Vol. 1 (1927-1931))
  2. Tuxedo Stomp (State Street Ramblers Vol. 1 (1927-1931))
  3. Tiger Moan (State Street Ramblers Vol. 1 (1927-1931))
  4. Tuxedo Stomp - Original Mix (Jazz Classics 1928, Vol. 2)
  5. Tell Me Cutie - Original Mix (Jazz Classics 1928, Vol. 2)
  6. There Ll Come a Day - Original Mix (Jazz Classics 1928, Vol. 2)
  7. Barrel House Stomp (Just About as Good as It Gets! Great British Skiffle Vol. 3)
  8. Cootie Stomp - Original Mix
  9. Do Right Blues - Original Mix
  10. Barrel House Stomp - Original Mix

Heard on WWOZ

STATE STREET RAMBLERS has been played 1 time on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.

DateTimeTitleShowSpotify
Dec 3, 202510:02SHANGHAI HONEYMOONfrom CHICAGO SOUTH SIDETraditional Jazzw/ Tom Saunders