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Song o' the Day-"Tin Roof Blues"
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New Orleans JAZZ NHP's Song o' the Day:
"Tin Roof Blues"
Benny Goodman, in his book “The Kingdom of Swing” (a signed old copy of which sells for $600!) says “My idea of a great clarinet player...was Leon Ropollo, who was playing… then with the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, and I did my best to sound like him.” High praise, indeed, coming from the “King of Swing”, himself. And, today is Leon’s happy birthday.
“Leon Joseph Roppolo (nicknamed "Rap" and sometimes misspelled as 'Rappolo') was born on March 16, 1902 in Lutcher, Louisiana.” According to a 1923 edition of the Times-Picayune, “His family, of Sicilian origin, moved to Uptown New Orleans about 1912. Young Leon's first instrument was the violin. He was a fan of the marching bands he heard in the streets of New Orleans, and wanted to play clarinet.” So, play he did, “before he became a teenager, he was already playing professionally at Milneburg and Bucktown” and “At 15, he went on a vaudeville tour that ended in a stint with a riverboat band”. After that, in Chicago, he, with a couple of childhood friends, formed the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, one of the best regarded hot jazz bands in Chicago in the early 1920s.
Our song today is one of Rap’s compositions from his NORK days (hey, if our JAZZ Rangers band can be “DoTLO”, the Rhythm Kings can go by “NORK”!) BTW, you may recognize the performer here as “Satchmo”, another NOLA native.
From: Putumayo Presents New Orleans
Written by: Leon Roppolo, P. Mares, G. Brunies, B. Pollack, M. Stitzel, W. Melrose
Produced by: Putumayo World Music (from “Jazz ‘Round Midnight” on Verve Records © Melrose Music Corp. (p) 1966 Universal Music Enterprises)
Performed by: Louis Armstrong’s All Stars; featuring Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet), Buster Bailey (clarinet), Marty Napoleon (piano)
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Image Gallery
Cover art: Melrose Bros. Music Co.
Cover art: Putumayo World Music, Nicola Heindl