Tommy’s Coffee Break Calendar for Rocktober 20th

"Happy Birthday To You!" -- Three good ones today...

10/20/1890 - Born this date, Ferdinand Joseph LaMothe a.k.a. Jelly Roll Morton, widely recognized as one of the most important and pivotal musicians of early jazz. As a bandleader, pianist and especially as an arranger, the J-Man pioneered the concept that jazz music, though it was based on improvisation, could retain its essential spirit and feeling even when the songs were written out for orchestra's to follow. Morton is notable for writing such standards as "King Porter Stomp", "Wolverine Blues", and, in 1915, what is arguably the first published jazz composition "Jelly Roll Blues". On July 10th, 1941, J-R passed away from respiratory problems following an eleven-day stay at a Los Angeles hospital; he was 50 years old.

10/20/1945 - Happy Birthday to Ten Years After drummer Ric Lee, 71 years old today -- Along with his legendary brother guitarist Alvin Lee, formed the group that would become known as Ten Years After back in 1966, when they called themselves The Jaybirds. One of the most under-appreciated bands in all of classic rock that produced a great run of albums in the early 1970's:  "Ssssh" (1969), "Cricklewood Green" (1970), and the must-have genre-busting "A Space In Time" (1971); if you like your blues on the jammy-psychedelic side, then those are the albums worth your time and money, truly classic stuff.

10/20/1950 - 66 years old today, Happy Birthday to one of the most talented take-no-bullsh---t artists the rock world has ever known (and today's feature WBLM Rocktober Artist of the Day), you gotta give it up for Mr. Thomas Earl Petty of Gainesville, Florida. Not a fan? We politely suggest checking your vital signs as you may have shuffled off this mortal coil...

Share your whomp-bama-lomp's with the Calendar here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"...You made me feel/Like every word you said was meant to be...", xoxo!