Not Satchmo, Duke, Trane, nor Miles.
The King of Jazz is Buddy Bolden.
From Jazz: A Film By Ken Burns...
Almost exactly 10 years ago my father and I began watching Jazz. While watching the episodes together we'd debate who was the better musician: Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington, he'd school me on musicians I'd never heard of, and he'd tell stories of his days owning a record shop, of playing poker backstage with Duke, of his longtime friendship with Billy Eckstine, and of the time he drove a drug-hazed Billie Holiday to the theatre where she was performing...and how she proceeded to go on stage and bring the house down.
It was a good time, one of the last good times we had since he passed away a couple months later.
Fast forward 10 years and I've started watching Jazz again, this time with my wife.
It's a good time.
P.S. I started this blog about two and a half years ago. This post is my 2,000th, whatever that means.
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