Ragtime duo Cherry and Jerry took an audience back in time as they performed early Blues music Sunday at Missouri River Regional Library.
Heads were swaying and feet were stomping as the piano and percussion duo performed music from the 1910s to 1920s. More than two dozen joined the audience to listen.
Missouri had a lot of influence on early American music, pianist Jerry Rabushka said.
"A lot of early Blues showed a lot of ragtime influence and went on itself to influence the development of jazz and, later on, rock and roll," percussionist Isaac Cherry added.
The two-hour performance Sunday explored some of the most popular tunes from the early 20th century and some lesser known ones. Between songs, the musicians talked about musical history, influential composers and the development of music genres.
Cherry and Jerry began with music composed by W. C. Handy, who is considered the father of Blues. After explaining Handy's life and challenges he faced trying to produce Blues music as a Black man in the south, they began the performance with his classic "St. Louis Blues."
Rabushka said the song was "one of the most famous songs in American history," but it didn't start that way. When it came out, the Blues genre was so new Handy started the song with a tango to see if people would stay out on the dance floor when he introduced some ragtime, Rabushka said.
"The song that put Blues on the map for a lot of Americans," he said.
During Sunday's performance, they played recordings of Handy performing with his own band back in 1914.
Cherry and Jerry perform around the Midwest as a duo and as part of the six-piece Ragged Blade Band. Rabushka plays the original sheet music on piano while Cherry adds a beat by playing a combination of the cajon, cymbal and bell tree.
"I'm southern at heart; that's why this music makes so much sense," Cherry said.
Ryan Pivoney/News Tribune Percussionist Isaac Cherry (left) and pianist Jerry Rabushka (right) perform "Yellow Dog Blues" Sunday at Missouri River Regional Library. Cherry and Jerry are a ragtime duo that perform throughout the Midwest and talk about the rise of Blues music.
Ryan Pivoney/News Tribune Percussionist Isaac Cherry (left) lifts his foot up to kick the cajon instrument he is sitting on while performing "St. Louis Blues" with pianist Jerry Rabushka (right) Sunday at Missouri River Regional Library. Cherry and Jerry perform ragtime and Blues music throughout the Midwest.