St. Louis Blues (song)

St. Louis Blues is a popular American song, composed by William Christopher Handy in the blues style. It belongs to the repertoire of many jazz musicians and grew into a real jazz standard. It was also one of the first blues songs that became popular as a pop song. It was performed by numerous musicians of all styles, includingBessie Smithand Louis Armstrong , Glenn Miller and the Boston Pops Orchestra. It was published in september 1914 by handy's own business and became so popular that a new dance style, the "foxtrot" for was made.

The version with Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong on cornet since 1933 is now kept in the Grammy Hall of Fame, as well as the release from 1929 by Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra (with Henry "Red" Allen).

The song remained the jazz song with most recordings of all time, from 1930 until 20 years later, when Star Dust took over this title.