He was a character with a strange sense of humor, and he was known as the father of the jazz violin. This is episode 18 of Caffe Lena: 60 Years of Song. Thank you to Sarah at the Caffe for compiling the list of artists and songs for this feature. Joe Venuti was said to have been born in Philadelphia. He was classically trained in the violin from a young age. His professional career began in 1924, and continued for 54 years until his death in 1978. He and guitarist Eddie Lang made numerous