Some Origins of Rock and Roll

People forget that the dominant instrument in the earliest days of rock and roll was not the guitar, but the saxophone. A lot of players took their inspiration from Louis Jordan who, with his Tympany Five, redefined black dance music in the period when big bands were breaking up due to wartime contingencies (like the draft and travel restrictions). Their sound became known as rhythm and blues, and had a direct influence on just about everyone who came along in popular music over the next generation. Here's one of Jordan's most famous hits: