Artie Matthews
A pivotal but under-sung architect of early jazz piano, whose 'Weary Blues' became an anthem and whose teaching shaped the next generation in St. Louis.
1888–1958 (age 70)·Birthday: November 15·The Lost Generation
Biography
In the crucible of Midwestern ragtime and early jazz, Artie Matthews was a quiet cornerstone. Based primarily in St. Louis and later Cincinnati, he was a pianist's pianist, possessing a formidable technique and a sophisticated harmonic sense that bridged the structured world of ragtime and the looser, blues-inflected style of jazz. While he composed several celebrated rags, his immortality was secured by a single tune: 'Weary Blues.' Though its authorship is sometimes debated, Matthews's published version in 1915 became the definitive article, a mournful, rolling masterpiece that would be recorded by everyone from Jelly Roll Morton to Louis Armstrong, becoming a standard of the early jazz repertoire. Beyond performing, Matthews was a dedicated educator and community figure. He founded the Cosmopolitan School of Music in Cincinnati, providing formal training to Black musicians at a time when such opportunities were scarce, and directed choirs, ensuring his musical knowledge flowed directly into the community that nurtured him.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Artie was born in 1888, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Artie Was Born
The biggest hits of 1888
Artie's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1888Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1893Started school
World's Columbian Exposition dazzles Chicago
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Became a teenager
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Could drive
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1906Could vote
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Turned 21
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1918Turned 30
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 40
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1938Turned 50
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 60
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 70
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
Key Achievements
- Published the iconic composition 'Weary Blues' in 1915, which became a jazz and blues standard.
- Composed a series of significant ragtime pieces known as the 'Pastime Rags' (Numbers 1-5).
- Founded the Cosmopolitan School of Music in Cincinnati to teach music to African American students.
- Was a leading figure in the St. Louis and Cincinnati music scenes as a pianist, arranger, and bandleader.
Did You Know?
He was a close associate of other major St. Louis ragtime figures like Tom Turpin and Scott Joplin.
For much of his later career, he worked primarily as a church organist and choir director.
Some historians believe he may have helped Scott Joplin notate some of his later, more complex compositions.
His 'Pastime Rag No. 5' is considered one of the most difficult classic rags to play.
“The Weary Blues got their rhythm from the riverboats and the St. Louis levee.”
