Generations of Record artists and stage performers

My father has always been interested in the generational differences between the early jazz instrumentalists of New Orleans, such as Buddy Bolden(1868) and Alphonse Piccou(1877). In this, I have the same fascination with the earliest recording artists and the performers that surrounded them. I have previously delved into this study, but now I would like to rewrite the thoughts on a blog post. 

Much like generational differences we see to-day with the Baby Boomers, Generation X-er's, and Millenials, this has been ever present in the time periods that come and go. So from one of the notebooks of mine I have found the written-down information in, here's what I have got. 

The generation before the civil war is their own breed of performers and idealists. This period lasted from about 1845 to 1865. These of this generation were a minority in the recording business' earliest decade, they were the ones who invented the gadgets that were first used and sparked the industry for good. 

Those in this generation were:

 Edison himself(1847)

 Burt Shepard(1854)

Dan W. Quinn(1860)

 Billy Golden(1858)

 Byron G. Harlan(1861)

Edward M. Favor(1856)

Press Eldridge(c.1853-54)

you get the point. 

These were the inventors of the devices, and the very early vaudevillians, who started their trade professionally in the 1870s and early 1880's. They were the minority of the recording artists in the 1890's and 1900's. They were the ones that held on to the civil war glory and rememberance, the feelings toward the war that the generations that came after them never had, and never could fathom. 

The next generation was the progressives. The true creators and eccentrics of the next century to come. Now, this generation is the one that the majority of the earliest recording artists were a part of. The time frame of this one is from about 1866 to 1888. Those of this generation were the ones who brought the world into the twentieth century. Their attitude towards business was very head on and powerful, which meant that they were the ones who would risk anything and everything for riches, and success. These were a breed of eccentrics and traditionalists, many were traditional, but many were also progressive, with a very weird side to them. They were the ones who truly set up the American spirit, and vigor of the young ones, in music and society. They were the ones to first put Rag-Time on published music, and have it become a national fad. 
Some from this generation were:

 Len Spencer(1867)

Arthur Pryor(1870)

Ossman(1868)

W. H. Krell(1868)

Freddy Hylands(1872)

Louis Chauvin(1882)

and of course...

Scott Joplin(1867-68)

They were all creative, progressive, eccentric, daring, risk-taking, and they sure as hell loved their Rag-Time!

The final generation I will mention is were a majority of the early jazz performers were placed. This generation stretches from 1889 to about 1909. If you went any later than that, you would be getting into the artists that were popular in the 30's and onward! So this Generation was the end of Rag-Time, but it was where all the jazz players grew up. 

Here's only a few of the very many of this generation:

The famous Jelly Roll Morton(about 1890)

wildman Jay Roberts(1890)

"Satchmo"(1901)

Johnny St. Cyr(1890)

and of course:

George Gershwin(1897)

Many of you actually would recognize the ones listed above,especially those Jazz heads out there. These were the true cultivators of Jazz, and the executioners of Ragtime for good. But they led the way to everything that came after it better than any of the earlier ones. 

Now just as most generations go, there are always in-betweens, where one cannot be very sure where you would put certain people. Even if their years line up with a certain era, they may not really fit in that generation. Here are a few examples:

J. W. Myers(1864), he was one of the ambitious ones of the generation of 1866 to 1888, but he as not really born in that era, as he had traits of the previous one, even if he wasn't born in the United States. 

Oh yes. Steve Porter(1864). He was born in the civil war era, but he exhibited all the same eccentric by somewhat traditional traits that were similar to Len Spencer and Fred Hylands. He's a hard one to classify, as he was the one who invented all of these very innovative and creative gadgets that he and Columbia sold to the masses. He had the same publishing ideas as Hylands and Roger Harding did, but he was a little more selfish with his heaps of money he must have inherited at a young age. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed this!