ABSTRACT
A disc player manufactured in 1906 by the firm of Léon Gaumont, a French company better known for its activity in the motion picture field. The machine was of interest because it included a natural gas container and a device to allow that gas to flow and burn. The heated gas acted upon the vibrating air in the machine to achieve an increase in the perceived volume of the sound signal. [TMR #42 (1976) has a drawing and a 1906 explanation.]
American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, born Edward Kennedy Ellington in Washington, D.C., son of a butler. He began at the piano at age seven, and performed professionally at 17. In 1922 he was in New York, playing with various groups, and leading several of them. He achieved great success in 1927-1932 at the Cotton Club in Harlem with his 12-piece band. Ellington’s most acclaimed period followed: he composed extensively, made films, and toured Europe; he and Louis Armstrong were seen as the twin leaders of the jazz universe. He had the advantage of an outstanding arranger in Billy Strayhorn, and star instrumentalists like Barney Bigard, Sonny Greer, Johnny Hodges, Rex Stewart, and Cootie Williams. Ivie (Ivy) Anderson was the principal vocalist. His band offered a new jazz idiom, mixing complex written-out scores with improvised solo playing.
