Vinnie, thanks so much for taking the time to write these great articles! I especially enjoy the "firsts" aspect of a lot of these, highlighting the first out-of-time drum solo was a great read, and I loved seeing the first documented drumset and learning about the musician associated with it. These firsts seem like an obvious thing now that you've pointed them out, but I actually think they're often overlooked in the teaching and lore of jazz history, I had never heard Dee Dee Chandler's name but it seems obvious that we should all know how the jazz drumset came about, and we should clearly know all the firsts because whatever we do as improvising musicians today can't be disconnected from the first people to explore that territory. I'm a pianist, and now feel inspired to seek out the first improvised piano solo, first example of stride, etc... and I hope you'll continue to enlighten us further on the many firsts of the drums!
Vinnie, thanks so much for taking the time to write these great articles! I especially enjoy the "firsts" aspect of a lot of these, highlighting the first out-of-time drum solo was a great read, and I loved seeing the first documented drumset and learning about the musician associated with it. These firsts seem like an obvious thing now that you've pointed them out, but I actually think they're often overlooked in the teaching and lore of jazz history, I had never heard Dee Dee Chandler's name but it seems obvious that we should all know how the jazz drumset came about, and we should clearly know all the firsts because whatever we do as improvising musicians today can't be disconnected from the first people to explore that territory. I'm a pianist, and now feel inspired to seek out the first improvised piano solo, first example of stride, etc... and I hope you'll continue to enlighten us further on the many firsts of the drums!