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St. Louis Blues

Mound City Blue Blowers

Eddie Condon, Red McKenzie

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This excerpt from their 1929 short "The Opry House" features "Mound City Blue Blowers", Red McKenzie comb, Eddie Condon and Jack Bland four-string guitars, and Josh Billings (suitcase) drums perfroming a rollicking string rendition of the W.C. Handy classic "St. Louis Blues".

Organized in 1923 the "Mound City Blue Blower's" original members were Red McKenzie, Dick Slevin, and Jack Bland. Percussionist Frank "Josh" Billings incorporated the novelty of a traveler's suitcase played with whisk brooms. The group's 1924 recording debut produced the big mid-Western hit "Arkansas Blues".