Jazzin' Straight Thru' Paradise on CD

You've probably never heard of Wilbur Sweatman, but he was one of the great band leaders to bring US from the age of Ragtime into the age of Jazz. Sweatman was a huge ragtime star who was famous for playing 3 clarinets at once. A showman and virtuoso, he saw the potential jazz brought to music and made the shift. These recordings from 1918 to 1920 showcase that transition while also delving into several experiments searching for the direction music was headed. It is a phenomenal collection from the musician who was mentored by Scott Joplin and W.C. Handy and who would go on the influence Duke Ellington!