Jump Blues

Big Band Jazz, Blues, & Boogie-Woogie melded during the Swing era to create Jump Blues. Cab Calloway's band accentuated the rhythm. Slim Gaillard spoke-sang surreal songs over his bandmates' call & responses. Louis Jordan mastered high energy Jump Blues, and Louis Prima combined it with Louis Armstrong's vocal inflections and trumpet flair.

The West Coast brand of Jump Blues was highly influenced by the laid-back sound of the Nat Cole's jazz trio and replaced the primal energy with musical and lyrical sophistication. The classically trained singer-pianist Charles Brown was the West Coast's finest exponent. Jump Blues led to R&B and rock 'n' roll - both of which replaced the style as America's good time party music until it became a major component of the '90s Swing Revival scene.