[Dixielandjazz] Buddy Bolden, was Armstrong-Eldridge

[Anton Crouch]

The extensive discussion in this thread reminds me of the old 1950s 
"begat theory" of New Orleans trumpet players. The theory was that Buddy 
Bolden begat King Oliver, who begat Armstrong, who begat Eldridge. Naive 
romantic mythology, assuming a simple linear progression.

What did Bolden sound like and what is the evidence for a direct 
connection with Oliver? Dan Hardie may have something to say about this :-)

The "line" branches at Armstrong and we have to take into account the 
"Armstrong copyists". Jabbo Smith, Henry Allen, Jack Purvis and Valaida 
Snow. And where does Bunk Johnson fit in? Johnson was probably younger 
than he claimed and there is an interesting interview with Rudi Blesh in 
which he has to be prompted to claim to remember King Oliver.

Anton