[Ads-l] "Jump Blues" Not in OED

[Ben Zimmer]

The Kansas City Six (with Lester Young) recorded "Countless Blues (Ad Lib
Jump Blues)" on Sept. 27, 1938, and it was released later that year.

https://www.mosaicrecords.com/the-lester-young-count-basie-sessions-1936-1947/
https://www.discogs.com/release/8898246-The-Kansas-City-Six-Countless-Blues-Ad-Lib-Jump-Blues-I-Want-A-Little-Girl

https://archive.org/details/american-music-lover-1938-12/page/286/mode/2up
American Music Lover, Dec. 1938, p. 286, col. 2
"In place of the composers name after _Countless Blues_ there is _Ad Lib
Jump Blues_ indicating that it is entirely improvisational. Maybe so, but
the whole side is characterized by some excellent arranging which hardly
sounds like jamming. If it is real jam, it speaks heaps for the ability of
these men."


On Sun, Aug 24, 2025 at 8:23 PM Shapiro, Fred <
00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> The term "jump blues" is not in OED.  The earliest I have found for it is:
>
> 1941 Call (Kansas City, Mo.) 2 May 13/1 (Newspapers.com)  Coupled is a
> jump blues, I'M GONNA PULL MY HAIR, with corny shouts and spots of boogie
> woogie piano.
>
>

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