Meanwhile, down in the “Deep South,” near Memphis and St. Louis, a different musical development was stirring. Inspired by “spirituals, field chants, and hollers,” the melancholy “groove” of blues emerged (Carruth 53). Similar to ragtime, blues resulted from the traditional sound of West African music. However, it is very different in terms of its tone and mood. “While ragtime is jangly and spirited, the blues takes after its name: blue, or melancholy” (Szepesi). Blues is known for its call-and-response and twelve-bar blues contributions to jazz. Most notably, its hypnotically smooth “groove” rhythm is what really sets it apart from ragtime. Also, unlike ragtime, blues incorporates narrative lyrics, typically some voicing of the hardships
