- While visiting St.

Louis in the 1890s, W.C.

Handy once heard a woman lament, "My man got a heart like a rock cast in the sea."

And those words gave birth to this song, one of the most recorded songs in jazz history.

This is the "St.

Louis Blues."

(upbeat jazz music) (upbeat jazz music continues) (upbeat jazz music continues) ♪ I hate to see that evening sun go down ♪ ♪ I hate to see that evening sun go down ♪ ♪ 'Cause my baby, she done left this town ♪ ♪ If I feel tomorrow like I feel today ♪ ♪ If I feel tomorrow like I feel today ♪ ♪ I'm gonna pack my trunk and make my getaway ♪ ♪ St.

Louis woman with her diamond rings ♪ ♪ Toss her man around by her apron strings ♪ ♪ T'werent for powder and her store-bought hair ♪ ♪ Oh, that woman of mine wouldn't go so far from me ♪ ♪ Got the St.

Louis Blues, as blue as I can be ♪ ♪ Woman's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea ♪ ♪ 'Cause she go so very far from me ♪ (upbeat jazz music continues) (upbeat jazz music continues) ♪ Red-headed gal makes a freight chain jump the track ♪ ♪ Red-headed gal makes a freight chain jump the track ♪ ♪ But a blonde-headed gal make the preacher ball the jack ♪ ♪ And ashes to ashes, oh, dust to dust ♪ ♪ Ashes to ashes and dust to dust ♪ ♪ If my blues don't get you, my jazzing must ♪ (upbeat jazz music continues) (upbeat jazz music continues) (upbeat jazz music continues) This next tune was recorded in 1935 by Mildred Bailey and Her Alley Cats, a quartet featuring Teddy Wilson on piano and Johnny Hodges on sax.

Mildred grew up in nearby Tekoa, Washington, and her family moved to Spokane in 1912.

Written by the great Fats Waller, let's hear it for "Honeysuckle Rose."

(gentle guitar music) ♪ One, two, one ♪ (gentle jazz music) (gentle jazz music continues) ♪ Every honeybee fills with jealousy ♪ ♪ When they see you out with me ♪ ♪ I don't blame them, goodness knows ♪ ♪ Honeysuckle rose ♪ ♪ I tell ya, when we're passing by ♪ ♪ Flowers droop and sigh, and I know the reason why ♪ ♪ You're much sweeter, goodness knows ♪ ♪ Honeysuckle rose ♪ ♪ I don't buy sugar, you just have to touch my cup ♪ ♪ You're my sugar, it's so so sweet when you stir it up ♪ ♪ When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips ♪ ♪ The honey fairly drips ♪ ♪ You're confection, goodness knows ♪ ♪ Honeysuckle rose ♪ (gentle jazz music continues) (gentle jazz music continues) (gentle jazz music continues) ♪ Every honeybee fills with jealousy ♪ ♪ I don't blame them, goodness knows ♪ ♪ Honeysuckle rose ♪ ♪ When you're passing by, flowers droop and sigh ♪ ♪ You're much sweeter, goodness knows ♪ ♪ Honeysuckle rose ♪ ♪ I don't buy sugar, you just have to touch my cup ♪ ♪ You're my sugar, it's, when stir it up ♪ ♪ When I'm taking sips from your dainty lips ♪ ♪ Hmm, you're confection, goodness knows ♪ ♪ I have no use for other sweets of any kind ♪ ♪ Since the day you came around ♪ ♪ Physically, I instantly made up my mind ♪ ♪ There ain't no sweeter sweetness can be found ♪ ♪ You're so sweet ♪ ♪ Can't be, ain't nothing sweeter ever stood on me ♪ ♪ Every honeybee fills with jealousy ♪ ♪ When they see you out with me ♪ ♪ I don't blame them, goodness knows ♪ ♪ Honeysuckle rose ♪ ♪ I tell ya, when you're passing by, flowers droop and sigh ♪ ♪ And I know the reason why ♪ ♪ You're confection, goodness knows ♪ ♪ Honeysuckle rose ♪ ♪ Well, I don't buy sugar, you just have to touch my cup ♪ ♪ Never sugar, it's ah when stir it up ♪ ♪ When I'm taking sips from your dainty lips ♪ ♪ It seems the honey fairly drips ♪ ♪ You're much sweeter, goodness knows ♪ ♪ Honeysuckle rose ♪ (upbeat jazz music) (upbeat jazz music continues) - As you can see, we love Fats Waller, and at least three of the songs we're performing tonight were recorded by him, including this next tune, which was also recorded by Mildred Bailey.

It was written by the great James P. Johnson, the originator of the Harlem Stride piano and one of Fats Waller's mentors.

At a time when Black service workers were caricatured in minstrelsy, the song was meant to bring a little warmth and dignity to the people whose service built so much of America.

This is "A Porter's Love Song to a Chambermaid."

(upbeat jazz music) (upbeat jazz music continues) ♪ Though my position is of low degree ♪ ♪ And all the others, they look down on me ♪ ♪ I'll go smiling through ♪ ♪ That's 'cause I got you ♪ ♪ I am the happiest of troubadours ♪ ♪ Thinking of you, baby, while I massage them floors ♪ ♪ At my leisure time ♪ ♪ I made up this rhyme ♪ ♪ I will be the oil mug ♪ ♪ If you'll be the oil ♪ ♪ That way we both could mingle ♪ ♪ Any time we toil ♪ ♪ I will be the washboard ♪ ♪ If you'll be the tub ♪ ♪ Think of all the Mondays ♪ ♪ We can rub-a-dub ♪ ♪ I will be your shoe brush ♪ ♪ If you'll be my favorite shoe ♪ ♪ Then I'll keep you bright, dear ♪ ♪ Polished good as new ♪ ♪ Well, if you'll be my razor ♪ ♪ I will be your razor blade ♪ ♪ That's a porter's love song ♪ ♪ To a chambermaid ♪ (upbeat jazz music continues) (upbeat jazz music continues) ♪ Well, I will be your dish pan ♪ ♪ If you be the perfect dish ♪ ♪ And we'll meet after meals, dear ♪ ♪ What more could you wish ♪ ♪ Well, I will be your window ♪ ♪ If you'll be my window shade ♪ ♪ That's a porter's love song ♪ ♪ To a chambermaid ♪ - The Zonky Jazz Band has graciously arranged an original tune of mine that is about the true laws of attraction.

(flirtatious jazz music) ♪ All the world loves a beautiful woman ♪ ♪ Exquisite, and a smile is her sword ♪ ♪ Ah, but any girl's beguiling with some photogenic smiling ♪ ♪ And a strangeness of proportion ♪ ♪ Keeps your guests from getting bored ♪ ♪ They say the comeliest of ladies are the gladdest ♪ ♪ And I would say I am inclined to agree ♪ ♪ 'Cause when you tell me I look pretty, I tell you ♪ ♪ I look pretty 'cause you're looking at me ♪ ♪ Well, time, she ain't no healer ♪ ♪ She's straight sadistic, she don't care what she does ♪ ♪ I mean, we'll try to lie about her ♪ ♪ As we're caking on the powder ♪ ♪ But it ain't in the complexion ♪ ♪ Gorgeous is as gorgeous does ♪ ♪ They say that handsomeness must shine from the inside ♪ ♪ And I would say I am inclined to agree ♪ ♪ But when you tell me I look pretty, I tell you ♪ ♪ I look pretty 'cause you're looking at me ♪ (flirtatious jazz music continues) (flirtatious jazz music continues) ♪ Well, if I had a nickel ♪ ♪ For every defect from my hair to my toes ♪ ♪ I could afford to get a man ♪ ♪ A little class and understanding ♪ ♪ Since he who dares not grasp ♪ ♪ The thorn should never crave the rose ♪ ♪ They say the comeliest of ladies are the gladdest ♪ ♪ And I would say I am inclined to agree, ♪ ♪ 'Cause when you tell me I look pretty, I tell you ♪ ♪ I look pretty 'cause you're looking at me ♪ ♪ They say that blushing is a sign of the sentient ♪ ♪ And I must say I am inclined to agree ♪ ♪ 'Cause when you tell me I look pretty, I tell you ♪ ♪ I look pretty 'cause you're looking ♪ ♪ Back up, girls, he's tooken ♪ ♪ Sinker, line, and hook in me ♪ (gentle jazz music) (gentle jazz music) - We're gonna do our theme song for you now.

This is a tune written by FatS Waller all the way back in December of 1928.

You might hear a little bit of "Inspector Gadget" in this tune, but this is a tune about a dance and a party.

Hit it, Andy.

(uptempo jazz music) (uptempo jazz music continues) (uptempo jazz music continues) ♪ Well, let me introduce you to the zonky ♪ ♪ Start to cut loose, get honky-tonky ♪ ♪ It's a good excuse to let your feelings run wild ♪ ♪ Shake your feet a-plenty, don't be haughty ♪ ♪ Work 'em double twenty, that means forty ♪ ♪ Make a noisy entry, act just like a big child ♪ ♪ I got such, well, you know what I'm trying to say ♪ ♪ Hot much, whoo, that tempo sure is tight that way ♪ ♪ I would bet a dime against a donut ♪ ♪ Other dances they may come and go, but ♪ ♪ When you learn the zonky, you will want it to stay ♪ (uptempo jazz music continues) (uptempo jazz music continues) (uptempo jazz music continues) (uptempo jazz music continues) ♪ Well, I got such, well, you know what I'm trying to say ♪ ♪ Hot much, whoo, that tempo sure is tight that way ♪ (uptempo jazz music continues) (gentle jazz music) ♪ I've been blue all day ♪ ♪ My man has gone away ♪ ♪ I tried to treat him kind ♪ ♪ I tried he make him mine ♪ ♪ He gone and left his mama cold ♪ ♪ For another gal, I'm told ♪ ♪ The man I hate to lose ♪ ♪ That's why mama has got the blues ♪ ♪ The man that I love ♪ ♪ He's gone left this town ♪ ♪ I'm talking about the man that I love ♪ ♪ He's gone left this town ♪ ♪ And if it don't stop snowing ♪ ♪ I'm gonna be Gulf Coast bound ♪ ♪ The mailman passed ♪ ♪ But he didn't bring me any news ♪ ♪ I saw that mailman pass, he walked right past me ♪ ♪ He didn't even say hello ♪ ♪ And he did not bring me any news ♪ ♪ Now, I gotta tell the whole world ♪ ♪ I got them Gulf Coast blues ♪ (gentle jazz music continues) (gentle jazz music continues) (gentle jazz music continues) ♪ These men up north ♪ ♪ They sure do make me tired ♪ ♪ I'm talking about all these men up north, honey ♪ ♪ They sure do make me tired ♪ ♪ 'Cause they've got a mouthful of gimme ♪ ♪ And a handful of much oblige ♪ (gentle jazz music continues) ♪ I said the roadway's clear ♪ ♪ And a light shines nice and bright ♪ ♪ I said the roadway's clear ♪ ♪ And a light shines nice and bright ♪ ♪ And I gotta work on home ♪ ♪ By the light of a little candlelight ♪ (gentle jazz music continues) (gentle jazz music continues) (gentle jazz music continues) (upbeat guitar music)