“Tin Roof Blues” (PDF) from the Delfeayo Marsalis album, Kalamazoo

Check out my transcription of Kid Ory’s “Tin Roof Blues.”

As part of the Great Migration of the early twentieth century, many southern musicians relocated to northern industrial cities, in search of more plentiful work opportunities. The south side of Chicago became a hotbed for New Orleans jazz, advancing the collaborative art form through an abundance of talent and Prohibition-era speakeasy venues. However, privileged groups like the New Orleans Rhythm Kings also had access to recording studios and publishing companies, thus establishing “Tin Roof Blues” as an early jazz standard.

Researcher Ted Gioia notes in his book, The Jazz Standards, of the similarities between “Tin Roof Blues” and other popular tunes of the era, suggesting that the tune’s actual origin may be more of a collaboration among a variety of contributors. Furthermore, Gioia points out that “Tin Roof Blues” was not as widely adopted until later in the century, perhaps in protest of jazz and the music industry’s segregated history. Both of these peculiarities are demonstrated in Delfeayo Marsalis’ performance, whether intentional or not, by tagging the tune with a melody similar to Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk.”

Here is a YouTube video of Delfeayo Marsalis playing “Blue Monk” with some familiar improvisations:

Recommended reading: The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire by Ted Gioia. Published by Oxford University Press.