July 18, 1923 (100 years ago). "Wolverine Blues," one of the first big jazz hits, with its brilliant piano solo, is recorded by Jelly Roll Morton and later released on Gennett Records. Morton was justly famous as a performer, but he was also one of the first people to produce notated jazz arrangements. He didn't invent jazz (as he sometimes claimed) but his stunning performances and his path-breaking work as an arranger earned him an unquestioned place in the musical pantheon. Follow the link to listen to that 1923 recording, and just try to prevent your toe from tapping for three minutes.
1 comment:
Thanks, Sam. My toes are still tapping. So much good in our past, so much auangst in our present, so much uncertainty in our future.
Semper Paratus
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