Easy Daylight - Late Night Jazz

Light New Orleans–inspired swing with warm brass, piano, and an easy second-line rhythm. Easy daylight. On this day in jazz history… Bunk Johnson (1889-1949) Willie Gary "Bunk" Johnson, born December 27, stands as one of jazz's most mythologized figures. Johnson claimed he was born in 1879 and had played with Buddy Bolden and taught Louis Armstrong. His 1937 Social Security application told a different story – 1889 - making him too young to have been Bolden's sideman. However, he did perform with Frankie Dusen's Eagle Band, the group that rose from Bolden's ashes. Johnson left New Orleans around 1914 after threats over a missed Mardi Gras parade gig, touring extensively before settling in New Iberia, Louisiana. In November 1931, his career ended abruptly when he lost both his trumpet and front teeth in a violent incident at a Rayne, Louisiana dance where bandmate Evan Thomas was stabbed to death. Johnson turned to manual labor. His redemption came when Louis Armstrong himself pointed jazz historians to Johnson in the early 1940s. Fitted with new teeth and given a trumpet, Johnson made his first recordings in 1942 and became central to the traditional jazz revival. He played with a rich tone in his middle registers, blending ragtime phrasing with Armstrong-influenced melodic concepts, and was considered a masterly blues player. #jazz #neworleansjazz #latenightjazz #relaxingjazz #jazzradio #backgroundmusic #smoothjazz All music (including AI-assisted elements) and visuals are original, curated, and produced by Two Cats Jazz Radio. T98_P4