Published in 1914 by W. C. Handy, the 'Father of the Blues,' this masterpiece fused 12-bar blues with a tango/habanera bridge, lifting southern folk blues into commercial circulation.
The landmark 1925 recording by Bessie Smith featuring a young Louis Armstrong redefined it from a sheet-music staple into the definitive vocal jazz and classic blues standard.
An early published blues composition was redefined by Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong into an immortal jazz-blues standard.