Threaded Thursday: Floyd Plays the Blues

Following Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman yesterday, we stay on the thread of pioneering electric guitarists working inside big‑band settings — and today we meet up with Floyd Smith, who recorded his signature number Floyd’s Guitar Blues with Andy Kirk and His Clouds of Joy for Decca in 1939.

Let’s spin it:

That’s a remarkable display of technique from Floyd. It doesn’t sound like anything else from 1939 — it’s almost like someone slipped a post‑war guitar solo into a pre‑war session!

I’ve always said Andy Kirk’s band was underrated, and one reason I enjoy it so much is the roster of fascinating musicians he nurtured, especially Floyd Smith and Mary Lou Williams. They gave that band a personality all its own.

Indies to the Rescue

Floyd revisited his tune a couple more times, including this small‑combo version from 1947 on the independent Hy‑Tone label:

The rise of independent labels after WWII gave players like Floyd the chance to record material the majors wouldn’t touch — and we’re lucky they did. These sides are little windows into what musicians actually wanted to play.

Krazy King-Sized Blues

One of the most successful of those independents was King Records, and Floyd turned up again in 1957 on a King remake of Floyd’s Guitar Blues, credited to the pickup group Krazy Kris and the Swinging Gentlemen:

It’s a fun, updated take, though I’m not convinced the tune changed enough from Floyd’s original to justify co‑writer credit for Chris Columbo and John Weigland. But that’s the record business for you.

El Rey de la Guitarra

We sneak into the 1960s with one more version — this time without Floyd himself. It’s a stereo remake by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra from their 1962 Capitol album They All Swung the Blues, featuring guest guitarist Alvino Rey:

Alvino Rey was the public face of the electric guitar in the 1940s, so bringing him into a Hollywood studio for a session that needed a guitar master was a no‑brainer. I like how he gives a bit of his own twist while staying pretty faithful to the original. I'm a huge fane!

And there you have it — Floyd’s guitar resonating across four decades, from a 1939 Decca side to a 1962 Capitol stereo remake. A single tune tracing the evolution of the electric guitar in American popular music.

But who in 1939 — besides Floyd Smith, Charlie Christian and Alvino Rey — could have imagined that within 20 years, the electric guitar would be the predominant instrument in popular music?