Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)

Stormy Monday

T-Bone Walker performs his masterpiece “Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)” live in Monterey in 1967.

Aaron Thibeaux ‘T-Bone’ Walker was one of the most influential pioneers and innovators of the jump blues and electric blues sound. As a teenage during the early 1900’s Walker learned his craft among the street-strolling string bands of Dallas. His mother and stepfather (a member of the Dallas String Band) were musicians, and family friend Blind Lemon Jefferson sometimes joined the family for dinner. Walker left school at age 10, and by 15, he was a professional performer on the blues circuit. Initially, he was Jefferson’s protege and would guide him around town for his gigs. In 1929, Walker made his recording debut with a single for Columbia Records, “Wichita Falls Blues”/”Trinity River Blues,” billed as Oak Cliff T-Bone. Oak Cliff was the community he lived in at the time and T-Bone a corruption of his middle name. Pianist Douglas Fernell was his musical partner for the record.

By 1942, with his second album release, Walker’s new-found musical maturity and ability had advanced to the point that he “shocked everyone” with his newly developed distinctive sound upon the release of his first single “Mean Old World”, on the Capitol Records label. Much of his output was recorded from 1946–1948 on Black & White Records, including his most famous song, 1947’s “Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad).”

*”Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)” is also known as “Call It Stormy Monday” or just “Stormy Monday” and confusingly, it is also sometimes referred to as “Stormy Monday Blues”, although that is the title of a 1942 song by Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine. Walker titled his song as he did to avoid this name collision.

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