KEY RECORDINGS: with THE LOUISIANA FIVE, 1919 Today’s Hero was initially slightly further down my list than number 16, but during the last few months I’ve been doing some intensive research for another project in which he plays a prominent role (more about that below!), so it made sense to write this article now whilst … Continue reading Heroes #16: Anton Lada, 1890-1944
Drums
Instruments #6: K. Zildjian heavy Turkish Cymbal, early 1920s
So far in this portion of the site we’ve looked at drums from the 1920s quite a lot, most recently in our two-part examination of the evolution of the most important part of the kit – the snare drum - during the decade. To redress the balance, this article will be the first of a … Continue reading Instruments #6: K. Zildjian heavy Turkish Cymbal, early 1920s
Instruments #5: The Windsor Dual-Tension Snare Drum, late 1920s
We’ve already had a look at the 'Snapper' type of snare drum commonly used during the early years of the decade – in many ways a relic of the 1910s. Today we’ll see how the instrument evolved throughout the 1920s to become something more recognisable to modern drummers. The main snare drum I use when … Continue reading Instruments #5: The Windsor Dual-Tension Snare Drum, late 1920s
Instruments #4: The ‘Bock-A-Da-Bock’ or Hand Cymbal, 1927-9
About two decades ago, as a curious teenaged jazz drummer, like many listeners keen to explore the earlier forms of the music I first alighted on Louis Armstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven records. I started there partly because I already knew some of Louis’s later work, and because I’d read about these early records’ … Continue reading Instruments #4: The ‘Bock-A-Da-Bock’ or Hand Cymbal, 1927-9
