jump blues

Jump blues is a style of postwar African-American popular music that emerged in the 1930s. It is characterized by blues-based records with humorous lyrics and upbeat rhythms, drawing heavily from boogie-woogie. This genre became a dominant form of Black popular music during and after World War II.1

Key practitioners of jump blues include Louis Jordan, Amos Milburn, and Big Joe Turner. While many songs followed the classic 12-bar blues structure, others were pop songs or instrumentals akin to light jazz. Jump blues featured both large and small ensembles, with small groups typically having five to seven musicians. The guitar often played a time-keeping role, as soloing was considered less sophisticated.1

Jump blues is considered a precursor to rhythm and blues and influenced later genres like rock and roll.12