History of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues, Vol. 1

This compilation highlights some of the distinguishing characteristics found in early New Orleans recordings, not with the intention of picking out the city's finest jazz and blues recordings but in order to pinpoint styles that would foreshadow later developments in the rhythm and blues field. Key Elements of New Orleans R&B. Low, greasy, horn sections of baritone and tenor saxes playing chords in unison. Percussive, staccato piano rhythms played in triplets and rolling piano arpeggios. A tendency to play in a slower tempo with a more laid-back feel. A preference for traditional eight or sixteen-bar harmonic song structure over the twelve-bar blues format. Two-bar rhythmic phrasing similar to that found in the Caribbean. A unique rhythmic tension derived from bands playing straight time and shuffle time simultaneously.