Victoria Spivey ~ & ~ Louis Armstrong-1929-How do They Do It That Way?

Victoria Spivey was born in Houston,Texas in 1906. When her father died in 1918, 12 year old Victoria played piano in Houston's Lincoln Theater to help the family with money. While still a teen, she played clubs, saloons and gambling dens in Houston and played parties and gatherings with Blind Lemon Jefferson.In 1926 she travelled to St. Louis to convince Okeh Records to let her record two songs she had composed-Black Snake Blues and Dirty Woman Blues. The records were an overnight success and her quick fame led her to record with jazz greats Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Luis Russell, Zutty Singleton and Lonnie Johnson - to name just a few. Although she did not have the great voice of a Bessie Smith, her records such as TB Blues dealt with the rejection that TB victims felt and her Dope Head Blues warned of the dangers of cocaine and were believable and down to earth. She also performed in reviews with her sister, Sweet Pease and brother Elton before moving on to Broadway in '27 to appear in Bits from Africana. She played the part of Missy Rose in King Vidor's Hallelujah in '29 and survived the depression by playing numerous one night stands throughout the country. In the 40s she worked in the Hellzapoppin Review in NYC and toured with Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra. She abruptly left showbiz in the 50s to sing in her church choir in Brooklyn. In the early 60s, when white audiences were discovering black jazz and blues, she formed her own label to record many of the old blues greats such as Lucille Hegamin, Memphis Slim, Alberta Hunter, Lonnie Johnson, Otis Spann and Muddy Waters as well as new talent like Brenda Bell and her discovery-Bob Dylan. She performed at blues festivals and night clubs until the end of her life in 1976.
The idea for the song was inspired as Spivey and her husband Reuben Floyd sat on their back porch in St Louis watching a rooster chase a hen.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Victoria
• Spivey
• Louis
• Armstrong
• Blues
• Jazz
• 1920s
• How
• do
• they
• it
• that
• Way
• Okeh
• 78s
• 78RPM

[Corrie121]

It really is surprising to discover that this exceptional contributor to Jazz and recorded jazz is not better known and acknowledged.

Victoria was just superb - I think so anyway - and this posting is testament to that.

Thanks for sharing.

[preservationhall01]

She was quite a talent --strange to be so little known these days.

[fillra]

Amazing what music you can come up with if you watch chickens chasing each other!

Very good record and photos. Thankyou, preservationhall01.

Louis Armstrong's stop-time chorus is truly excellent.

Spivey, Victoria (Vocal)

Armstrong, Louis (Trumpet)

Robinson, Fred (Trombone)

Strong, Jimmy (Tenor Saxophone)

Anderson, Gene (Piano)

Carr, Mancy (Banjo)

Singleton, Zutty (Drums)

[preservationhall01]

YT is going a little crazy. This is the third time I have tried to post a reply thanking you for the info on the musicians backing Queen Victoria.

[garfreeek]

wow such a good song!

i can't believe i didn't know her!!

and louie's so good too!

wish i could play like that ^_^

[preservationhall01]

Thanks for your comment and for stopping by to visit my channel.

[loonyat11]

That stop-time solo is *hot*... :-)

[stonerbassist]

this is crazy high

[BixBolden]

Sorry! but this is absolutely NOT Louis Armstrong!! It is the recording of the Luis Russell Orchestra with the great Henry Red Allen on Trumpet. REd Allen's concept of playing off-beat in a Stop-Chorus was completely different to Louis.

[cballa116]

RON ARTEST SENT ME HERE! Artest you are the MAN! as is this epic classic. LA loves you ron and you too Louis Armstrong. and im not sure who victoria spivey is but we love you too!

[Urbino237]

A wonderful recording - thanks for posting! Louis' solo break towards the end is astonishing (2:18 - 2:58) - 40 seconds of pure magic - which opened the floodgates for any other musician to be daring and experimental. Surely this was one of his "50 Hot Choruses For Cornet" (1927).

[sidhe333]

one of the sweetest recordings ever made

[sirjuandabicho]

ohh Bellisimo, muchisimas gracias....

[phdseuss]

victoria spive...where did i hear that name from? oh yeah now i know lol lol it was the words to her music that caought my attention (if i am thinkin rite).