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Joe "King" Oliver
Monumental figure in jazz music. Brought 'collective improvisation' to jazz music instead of solos. He was Louis Armstrong's mentor and teacher. Famous for using mutes, derbies, bottles and cups to alter the sound of his cornet. Started playing in New Orleans around 1908. Had two bands throughout his career, the Dixie Syncopators and "King Oliver's Jazz Band" -
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Edward "Kid" Ory
Kid Ory was a really important figure in the history of American jazz. Most famouse for his trombone skills and the band he formed that featured famous jazz artists like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Dodds, Sidney Bechet and Jimmie Noone. During the Depression, he lived a humble life. He revived his Creole band in the mid-40s and continued to play until he retired in 1966. -
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Charles "Luckey" Roberts
Considered the "founder" of the New York school of pianists. He was the first Harlem pianist to have his work published and recorded. Another unique feature is that he composed both jazz and classical music -
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Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton
One of the first major jazz composers. He blended blues and ragtime styles in his music. He was known to have no boundaries in his rhythmic inventions. He also changed the purpose of jazz music--recording music. Many thought jazz was ment to stay unrecorded because recording it in a studio would take away from the improvisational style. Morton wanted to prove that theory wrong. -
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Louis Armstrong
A very important figure in the history of jazz. Came from a poor family in New Orleans. He started playing dive bars at 16, and he got his first horn from his mentor King Oliver. In 1922, Armstrong joined Oliver's Creole band, where he met his wife, Lillian Hardin. In 1924, he decided to go solo. In 1925, he started recording his music. In his later life, he toured extensively with his band all over the world (he became known in Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America). -
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Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke
White musician born in Iowa. First major musician to learn about jazz from records, not first hand. He played in mostly white orchestras but embraced jazz music just the same. He died at a young age because of excessive living. -
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Earl Hines
Earl Hines was a jazz composer that set out to play the piano like a trumpet or trombone. His style combined Armstrong's improvisation with exuberant rhythms. He popularized and shaped piano jazz music. -
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Thomas "Fats" Waller
Waller was the ultimate combination of ragtime, blues, and stride piano styles. He was also very good at blending religious, secular, black, and white music styles all together. -
Stein's Dixie Jass Band was formed
This band, now called "The Original Dixieland Jass Band" made the first jazz record and prompted many New Orleans jazz musicians to move to New York. The Dixieland Jass Band wrote a number of important pieces and led the way for many jazz musicians -
Death of Scott Joplin
Scott Joplin was a monumental composer for ragtime and jazz. He was one of the first to write jazz music for the piano, which is what he is most famous for. Many jazz composers were inspired by his piano rags. -
Ory's Creole Trombone
The first record by a black orchestra, recorded by Kid Ory's Creole Orchestra. -
King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band Recordings
King Oliver formed a Jazz band that recorded and created a lot of really important music. -
New Orleans Rhythm Kings
Recorded song "Angry"--band of jazz musicians from New York and New Orleans, originally called The Friar's Society Orchestra. Members--Leon Roppolo, Paul Mares (the original founder), trombonist George Brunies, pianist Elmer Schoebel (the main composer) and bassist Steve Brown. Also the leading "dixieland' band fully embraced the African Ameircan roots of Jazz.