Unusual Instruments
From At the Jazz Band Ball by Kevin McLaughlin
October 8, 2025 · 59 min · Season 1 · Episode 38
About this episode
This episode explores various unusual instruments used in jazz music through different eras.
Put And Take (Adrian Rollini, bass sax, hot fountain pen, Joe Venuti's Blue Four, 1930); Delta Serenade - Theme (Duke Ellington, 1940); I'm Coming Virginia (Sidney Bechet, sop sax, & His New Orleans Feetwarmers, 1941); Wang Wang Blues (Rollini, "goofus", The Goofus Five, 1927); Knockin' on wood (Red Norvo, xylophone, 1933); J azz Me Blues (Adrian Rollini Trio, vibes, chimes, 1950); Girls Like You Were Meant For Boys Like Me (Red McKenzie's Mound City Blue Blowers, comb, 1930); For No Reason at All in C ( Frankie Trumbauer, C melody sax 1927); Wild Cat, (Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, 1927); Junk Man (Jack Teagarden, Caspar Reardon, harp, 1934); Sweet Sue (Dave Apollon, mandolin, 1933); Sugar ( Alberta Hunter, Fats Waller pipe organ (1927); Summit Ridge Drive (Artie Shaw and His Gramercy Five, Johnny Guarnieri, harpsichord, 1940); Mr. J.B. Blues (Jimmie Blanton, bass, Duke Ellington, 1940).
People in this episode
Host: Kevin McLaughlin
Topics covered
- unusual instruments
- jazz history
- musical styles
- instrumentation
- jazz artists
Keywords
- bass sax
- sop sax
- xylophone
- harpsichord
- mandolin
- jazz
- musical instruments
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Duke Ellington, The Goofus Five, His New Orleans Feetwarmers, Mound City Blue Blowers, Gramercy Five
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- Spring Songs · April 10, 2026 · 58 min
- Cleveland Club Hopping, 1920s-40s · March 6, 2026 · 59 min
- Jazz in Harlem, 1920s-40s · February 3, 2026 · 59 min
- Jazz in 1926 · January 3, 2026 · 59 min
- 30 min. Holiday Jazz, 1920s-40s · December 21, 2025 · 30 min
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