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 t the start of the thirties Texas singers were still at the height of the blues craze, with Houston's Victoria Spivey being
a prime example, and Texas was developing its own barrelhouse piano style, with Alex Moore and others paralleling the developments in Kansas City and New York. But during the thirties enormous changes were
taking place in the national music scene. Jazz greats like Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman were leading a transformation in popular music, and many Texas musicians were drawn to contribute their talents. Among the hundreds who made lasting contributions
were Charlie Christian, who established the guitar as a valid solo instrument for jazz improvisation, and Jack Teagarden, perhaps the most
innovative trombonist of his generation. Swing became the most popular form of music, and jazz pianist Teddy Wilson, born in Austin, was one of the greats in that genre as well. At the same time Texans were
at the forefront
of Country music, furnishing singing cowboys Gene Autry and Tex Ritter to the movies and pointing the way to further developments,
Al Dexter was introducing the world to the honky-tonk blues. In the early thirties bandleader Milton Brown was refining the sound of Western swing, a memorable blend of country
and jazz that still has proponents today. In 1939 the quirky talents of Red River Dave McEnery introduced Country music to television at the 1939 World's Fair. But beyond these national trends, traditional
ethnic music thrived in Texas as well, with accordionist Santiago Jimenez, Sr., helping to solidify the conjunto style that has become such a popular factor in todays international music scene.
Read about Victoria Spivey
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