I Went Down To St. James Infirmary by Robert W. Harwood
The Timeless Journey of "St. James Infirmary"
I never had the opportunity to hear Louis Armstrong in person. Boy, did I miss out! But I was fortunate in that my parents loved music—so much so that we grew up listening to the likes of Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Glenn Miller, and Count Basie.
It wasn’t just about the newer hits. Sometimes we’d listen to older music too. My dad called it folk, bluegrass, or jazz, while my mom referred to it as old-time music. The newer songs, she’d say, were Big Band. Either way, this rich variety of music lured all of us kids into playing in a band. While my brothers picked up horns, I was drawn to the woodwinds.
I believe the first time I heard the iconic song "St. James Infirmary" was when Louis Armstrong sang it on television. However, one of my all-time favorite renditions is by Cab Calloway, belting it out in his signature style. As I grew older, I discovered other versions, like Eric Clapton’s and Arlo Guthrie’s, each bringing their own touch while strumming their guitars. More recently, I’ve enjoyed Hugh Laurie’s version on the piano, where he effortlessly combines playing and singing.
"St. James Infirmary" is a timeless piece of jazz-blues music, and it's fascinating to trace its evolution over the years.
Everything originates from something else, and "St. James Infirmary" is no different. A deep dive into this song reveals how its journey has been shaped by various musical influences. I found myself completely engrossed in a discussion of the song’s many variants, all following the same basic chords but with unique twists.
This particular song, with its folk roots and modern jazz influence, tells a rather morbid story. A man visits the infirmary to view the corpse of his lady friend and proceeds to share his final wishes for his own burial. It’s dark but undeniably captivating.
This is where my journey takes an unexpected turn. As I read about the history of the song, I grabbed my laptop to follow along and explore the various artists and recordings mentioned in the book. I came across a range of artists I hadn’t heard of before and some I had just listened to yesterday. It wasn’t long before I found one of the songs being played on an Edison Cylinder Phonograph—amazingly clear considering its age!
From there, I moved on to the flat discs, and let me tell you, by the time I reached the 78 rpm records, some of the tracks were hard to make out due to distortion caused by the wide grooves. But despite the distortion, I was completely invested. The journey was as much about discovering the artists as it was about hearing the music.
What I thought would be a quick browse turned into over three hours of pure enjoyment. By the time I checked, I was only on page 30 of the book, having spent hours listening to music that spanned generations. The best part? The learning never stopped.
I learned about the early days of cash-per-recording deals (imagine working for just one dollar a year!). The book also covered the fascinating practice of musicians reworking songs and even hiding their identities for various reasons. By page 39, I had discovered new favorites, and after some searching, I finally found a link to listen to Redman’s clarinet—his playing made me smile from ear to ear!
The mention of Fred Rose brought back fond memories of my dad, a guitar player who had stacks of sheet music featuring Fred’s name. In a surprising twist, I learned that one of the songs mentioned in the book had been banned in England until 2002—luckily, I had listened to it on a Saturday rather than a Sunday!
The appendix of the book provides a detailed list of what Harwood perceives the five principal variants of "St. James Infirmary," to be.
I learned more about objectivity in music, and how easy it is to get lost in the world of different versions and interpretations. The book offered an incredibly informative journey, filled with many hours of pure listening pleasure
This book, which I received from Steven Booth, publisher at Genius Books & Media, Inc, was an absolute treasure. You'll find it a fascinating way to track the song’s evolution. Whether you’re a jazz - blues enthusiast or simply someone who loves music history, this deep dive into the legacy of "St. James Infirmary" is a journey worth taking.
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