The wellsprings of rock n roll are in boogie woogie and swing, the latter more in terms of popular dance bands than jazz, which created a body of water called R&B (rhythm and blues) which soon branched into rock n roll one way, soul music toward Motown and later disco the other. But what is this "rocking" thing in modern music? If one trace the word "rock" discographically one comes upon numerous titles preceding R&B which faintly (or not) point toward the emergence of rock. Though "rock" in a title doesn't translate into rock n roll, drift in that direction is detectable from a wee bit to conspicuously. Samples below were nigh all issued before 1940.
One can find "rock" in music all the way back to Trixie Smith's blues, 'My Man Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)', her debut issue in 1922. "Roll" may well refer to "jelly roll" as in Jelly Roll Morton, as in vulva stick. "Jazz" itself was connoted from the sexual term that was "jass" in reference to "gism" (semen). 'My Man Rocks Me' is a long distance from what disc jockey, Alan Freed, began to call rock and roll in 1954 in an effort to pull white America into R&B, making rock n roll (minus the properly impeding apostrophe) but a white term for rhythm and blues (a broader more-embracing term than only jump blues). But in cultural terms Smith can likely be said to be an early progenitor of rock. Her death on 21 Sep 1943 was the same year that Billboard created its Rhythm and Blues category, an umbrella term for black music which began to come into broad usage in 1948 due largely to music journalist, Jerry Wexler.
Trixie Smith
Source: Yehoodi
'My Man Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)' Trixie Smith 1922
Composition: J. Berni Barbour
'My Daddy Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)' Trixie Smith 1938
Composition: J. Berni Barbour
Come Clara Smith's 'Rock, Church, Rock' recorded on 1 May 1926 toward Columbia 14138-D [DAHR]. Smith's first recordings had appeared in 1923, she to die only twelve years later in 1935 well before the arrival of R&B. Albeit wanting some jump, 'Rock, Church, Rock' is a cultural progenitor to to R&B, thus rock n roll.
Clara Smith
Source: Magic Old America
'Rock, Church, Rock' Clara Smith 1926
Composition: Stanley S. Miller
On 14 March of 1929 Ikey Robinson [Discogs] issued 'Rock Me Mama' on Brunswick 7059 [Discogs] featuring vaudeville singer, Frankie Jaxon ("Half Pint"). Born in Dublin, Virginia, in 1904, Isaac "Banjo" Robinson began working for Jelly Roll Morton in Chicago in 1926. He began recording with Jabbo Smith as well as his own name titles in 1929, moving on to Clarence Williams's Jug Band in the early thirties. Born on 28 July 1904, Robinson lived to see R&B and rock transform through the eighties, not to die until 25 Oct 1990.
'Rock Me Mama' Ikey Robinson w Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon 1929
Composition: Ikey Robinson
It was 19 April 1929 [SecondHandSongs] when Tampa Red, another hokum blues artist, recorded 'My Daddy Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)' also w Frankie Jaxon. Born in 1904 in Georgia though raised in Florida, Tampa Red also lived to see R&B and rock through their various transformations until his death on 19 March 1981.
Tampa Red
Source: Short & Sweet
'My Daddy Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)' Tampa Red w Frankie "Half Pint" Jaxon 1929
Composition: J. Berni Barbour
On 15 Oct 1929 Lil Johnson [Discogs] released 'Rock That Thing' on Vocalion 1410 [45Worlds], one of five which were her first recordings that year. Johnson was notably a hokum blues (dirty blues) vocalist. Not known when she was born, nor when she died, she recorded her last titles in 1937.
'Rock That Thing' Lil Johnson Vocalion 1410 1929
Composition: from Papa Charlie Jackson's 'Shake That Thing' of 1925
Into the thirties "rock" is found in the less salacious and more up tempo "Rock and Roll" by the Boswell Sisters in 1934. That was issued flip side to 'If I Had a Million Dollars' on Brunswick A 9672. The song was used in the film, 'Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round'.
Boswell Sisters
Source: J. P.'s Blog
'Rock and Roll' Boswell Sisters Film: 'Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round' 1934
Composition: Richard Whiting & Sidney Clare
In 1935 Benny Goodman backed Helen Ward's counsel to put some "rock and roll" in your soul per 'Get Rhythm in Your Feet'. Ward first recorded on January 17, 1934, with the Ed Lloyd Orchestra for Melotone: 'This Little Piggy Went to Market'. Born in 1917, Ward was a swinger who lived nigh unto the new millennium, not to die until 21 April 1998.
Helen Ward
Source: From the Vaults
'Get Rhythm In Your Feet' Glenn Miller backing Helen Ward 1935
Composition: Bill Livingston & J. Russel Robinson
Mildred Bailey had first issued her woe-is-me theme song, 'Rockin' Chair', on 18 August 1932 toward issue on Victor 23117-A and Bluebird Bluebird B-6945 [DAHR]. She recorded it again in 1937 for release in May on Vocalion 3553 [audio]. Bailey traded rockin' for more the rockin' here meant when she quickened the pace for some soul satisfaction with "rock and roll" in 'Rock It for Me' in 1938.
Mildred Bailey
Source: WBGO
'Rockin' Chair' Mildred Bailey 1932
Composition: Hoagy Carmichael who first recorded it on 19 February 1929
'Rock It for Me' Mildred Bailey Issued May 1938 on Vocalion 4083
Composition: Kay & Sue Werner
Georgia White recorded another version of 'My Daddy Rocks Me (With One Steady Roll)' per 'Rock Me Daddy' gone down in Chicago on 9 November 1937 [RYM]. Born in 1903, White recorded her first blues in 1930. Traced to as late as the Blue Pub in Chicago in 1959, she then dropped away into obscurity until her death circa 1980.
Georgia White
Source: Discogs
'Rock Me Daddy' Georgia White Recorded 28 Oct 1938
Composition: J. Berni Barbour
Come Erskine Hawkins' 'Rockin' Rollers Jubilee' on Bluebird B-7826 B, gone down on 12 September 1938 [DAHR]. Composed by Joe Davis, the title likely refers to the emancipation of slaves every fifty years as described in the Old Testament book of Leviticus (chap 25). The corresponding celebration in the United States is Juneteenth held on 19 June since 1866, not made a national holiday until 2021 by President Joe Biden.
Erskine Hawkins
Photo: Jerry Tavin/Everett Collection
Source: Discogs
'Rockin' Rollers Jubilee' Erskine Hawkins Recorded 12 Sep 1938
Composition: Joe Davis
By searching for "rock" in music we learn a bit of its etymology from its distant wellsprings in blues, and find swingers already advocatin' rockin' before the advent of R&B.
Further Reading:
Alan Freed:
Etymology of "Jazz":
Hokum Blues:
Jerry Wexler:
Classical Main Menu Modern Recording
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