October 19th: Today In Music History

Born in New Orleans on this day in 1878, Alphonse Picou was there for the birth of jazz. Picou, whose death in 1961 reportedly mourned with a massive funeral procession, is perhaps best known for originating the clarinet part on the jazz standard “High Society,” an effort that is considered one of the earliest documented jazz solos. Here he is playing “High Society.”