St. Louis blues (music)

St. Louis blues is a type of blues music. It is usually more piano-based than other forms of the blues, and is closely related to the jump blues, ragtime and piano blues. It is sometimes performed to a "Saint Louis shuffle" beat; a drum rhythm with heavy on-the-beat accents. It can often be made up of a small number of singers, a pianist and a few other musical instruments (used primarily for rhythm) to make up a band, but it is also common for guitarists to take the lead, even to play parts normally played on piano.

"Saint Louis Blues" is a popular American song composed by W. C. Handy in the blues style and published in September 1914. It remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians' repertoire. It was also one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song. It has been performed by numerous musicians of all styles from Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith to Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Guy Lombardo, and the Boston Pops Orchestra. It has been called "the jazzman's Hamlet".