“Royal Garden Blues” | Stories of Standards

New Orleans pianists Clarence Williams and Spencer Williams (no relation) composed “Royal Garden Blues” in 1919. Named for the Royal Garden Dance Hall in Chicago, the tune was first recorded in 1920 by Denver‘s George Morrison Jazz Orchestra.

The song did not gain popularity until several years after its introduction, with two recordings hitting the charts – once with the Dixieland Jazz Band and again with Mamie Smith and her Jazz Hounds. 

Regarded as the first popular song based on a riff rather than on melody line, “Royal Garden Blues” went through several incarnations, some with lyrics (performed by Mamie Smith, Daisy Martin, Ella Fitzgerald and Ethel Waters), some without (Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey).

Clarence and Spencer wrote a set of lyrics and Jon Hendricks another, both of them playing on the rapid dancing flow of the music.

The composers of “Royal Garden Blues” were prominent members of the jazz scene during the 1920s. Clarence led his own band (which sometimes included Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet), and collaborated on numerous songs such as “Sugar Blues.”

Spencer, who lived abroad from 1925 to 1957, accompanied Josephine Baker and Fats Waller, and collaborated with Roger Graham and Dave Peyton on “I Ain’t Got Nobody”, with Jack Palmer on “I Found a New Baby,” and “Everybody Loves My Baby”.

Tune in to First Take with Lando and Chavis – weekdays from 6-9 am MT – for Stories of Standards to hear our favorite versions of this song all week long!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyvH6wf4ghw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJU5gsR9qTk