Rhythm & Blues from Bessie Smith to Louis Jordan: Ed Ward's History of Rock & Roll

Today Ed Ward and I will be filling in a gap in our discussion of his epic History of Rock & Roll Part 1, 1920-1963 by discussing the evolution of African-American music from blues & jazz thru swing to Rhythm and Blues with a focus on great performers from Bessie Smith to Louis Jordan. This week, Ed and I talk about the how African-American pop music transformed itself thru the swing era, the rise & fall of the blues queens, the thin line between jazz and blues, the first guitar heroes and the greatest American musical superstar you’ve probably barely heard of, Louis Jordan. Buy the book and support the podcast. Download this episode. Have a question or a suggestion for a topic or person for Nate to interview? Email [email protected] Follow us on Twitter. Follow us on Facebook. Let It Roll is proud to be part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices