JAZZ DAY AND THE AUTOMOBILE

The 20^th September is quite a day, particularly in the number of jazz musicians born of this day. It is also the day on which the first American gasoline powered automobile was tested, and we all know what that event has led to. 

On 20^th September 1893, the Duryea Brothers road-tested the first-ever, working American gasoline-powered automobile in a portion of Springfield, Massachusetts that is now located in the City of Chicopee, Massachusetts. The Duryea's "motor wagon" was a used horse drawn buggy that the brothers had purchased for $70 and into which they had installed a 4 HP, single cylinder gasoline engine. The car (buggy) had a friction transmission, spray carburetor and low tension ignition. Frank Duryea test drove it again on November 10 — this time in a prominent location: past their garage at 47 Taylor Street in Springfield. The next day it was reported by The Republican newspaper with great fanfare.

This particular car was put into storage in 1894 and stayed there until 1920, when it was rescued by a former Duryea engineer Inglis M. Uppercu and presented to the United States National Museum.

Charles Duryea and his brother Frank were initially bicycle makers in Washington D.C., but later became world-renowned as the first American gasoline-powered car manufacturers, headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts. Generally speaking, Charles engineered the automobiles, while Frank built, tested and raced them.

On the literary front, the 20^th September celebrates the birthdays of the writer Upton Sinclair in 1878, the editor and publisher Maxwell Perkins in 1884 and the British poet Stevie Smith in 1902

As to jazz, the following eleven musicians were all born on the 20^th September:

1885 – Jelly Roll Morton, American jazz pianist, bandleader and composer

1913 – John Collins, American jazz guitarist - Here playing with Nat King Cole

1921 -Chico Hamilton (born Foreststorn Hamilton), is an American jazz drummer and bandleader.

1926 – Jackie Paris, American jazz singer and guitarist 

1927 – Johnny Dankworth, English musician and composer

1927 – Red Mitchell, American jazz bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet
1933 – Steve McCall, American jazz drummer - here playing with the group Air
1938 – Eric Gale, American jazz and session guitarist and record producer

1941 – Jim Cullum, Jr., American jazz cornetist

1947 – Billy Bang, American jazz violinist and compose
1956 – Steve Coleman, African American saxophone player, spontaneous composer, composer and band leader

I'm sure there are many more.