Handy, W.C.

Handy, W.C.

▪ American composer
born Nov. 16, 1873, Florence, Ala., U.S.
died March 28, 1958, New York, N.Y.
 black American composer who changed the course of popular music by integrating the blues idiom into the then-fashionable ragtime. Among his best-known works is the classic “St. Louis Blues.”

      A son and grandson of ministers, Handy was educated at Teachers Agricultural and Mechanical College, Huntsville, Ala., and worked as a schoolteacher and bandmaster. He conducted his own orchestra from 1903 to 1921.

      Handy worked during the period of transition from ragtime to jazz. Drawing on the vocal blues melodies of African American folklore, he added harmonizations in his orchestral arrangements. His work helped develop the conception of the blues as a harmonic framework within which to improvise. With his “Memphis Blues” (1911) and especially his “St. Louis Blues” (1914), he introduced a nostalgic element peculiar to the music of Southern blacks. This was achieved chiefly by use of the “blue” or slightly flattened seventh tone of the scale, which was characteristic of black folk music. Later he wrote other blues pieces (“Beale Street Blues,” “Careless Love”) and several marches and symphonic compositions. Forced to publish “St. Louis Blues” himself, he organized a publishing firm, which he directed until late in his life. He issued anthologies of African American spirituals and blues and studies of black American musicians. His autobiography, Father of the Blues, was published in 1941.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • handy-an — handy an·dy; …   English syllables

  • Handy — may refer to:Technology* mobile phone in Germany, Austria and Switzerland * development name for the Atari Lynx * Handy (emulator), an emulator for the Atari LynxPlaces* Handy Cross, Buckinghamshire, England * Handy, Indiana, USA * Handy Township …   Wikipedia

  • handy — hand‧y [ˈhændi] adjective used to describe things that are easy to use or carry, especially because they are small and light: • a detergent in a handy 100 ml tube * * * handy UK US /ˈhændi/ adjective ► useful or convenient: »Credit cards are a… …   Financial and business terms

  • Handy — Hand y (h[a^]nd [y^]), a. [Compar. {Handier} ( [i^]*[ e]r); superl. {Handiest}.] [OE. hendi, AS. hendig (in comp.), fr. hand hand; akin to D. handig, Goth. handugs clever, wise.] 1. Performed by the hand. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] To draw up and come …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • handy — handy; handy·man; handy·weight; un·handy; …   English syllables

  • Handy — [Aufbauwortschatz (Rating 1500 3200)] Auch: • Mobiltelefon Bsp.: • Ohne mein Handy wäre ich aufgeschmissen. • Du darfst kein Handy mitbringen. • Du kannst mich auf meinem Handy anrufen …   Deutsch Wörterbuch

  • handy — [adj1] nearby accessible, adjacent, at hand, available, close, close at hand, close by, convenient, near, near at hand, on hand, ready, within reach; concept 586 Ant. faraway, inconveniently, unhandy handy [adj2] easy to use adaptable,… …   New thesaurus

  • Handy — Handy: Bei dem seit der 2. Hälfte des 20. Jh.s gebräuchlichen Substantiv mit der Bedeutung »Mobiltelefon« handelt es sich nicht um eine direkte Übernahme aus dem Engl., sondern um eine anglisierende Bildung zu dem Substantiv hand »Hand«. Das… …   Das Herkunftswörterbuch

  • handy — [han′dē] adj. handier, handiest [ HAND + Y3] 1. close at hand; easily reached; conveniently located; accessible 2. easily used; saving time or work; convenient [a handy device] 3. easily managed or handled: said of a ship, etc …   English World dictionary

  • handy — index available, close (near), deft, effective (efficient), expert, functional, immediate (not distant) …   Law dictionary

  • Handy — Handy, W.C. (1873 1958) a US ↑jazz musician and writer of jazz songs, thought to be the first person to write blues music. His most famous song is St Louis Blues …   Dictionary of contemporary English

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”