A musical journey through the evolution of ragtime, from its first published pieces in the 1800s to its transformation into early jazz by the 1920s.

We also delve into the ragtime revival of the 1970s and the story of a World War I hero, along with other fascinating discoveries.

In this episode, we delve into an important piece of music history, exploring some of the very first African American groups ever recorded.

Along the way, I uncovered some incredible songs that deserve to be heard. And what better time to share them than during Black History Month.

In this episode we go back to the basics, exploring the origins of sound recording. Delving into the groundbreaking work of early pioneers like Édouard-Léon Scott de Martinville, who captured sound waves with his phonautograph in the 1850s, years before Thomas Edison’s phonograph.

We also listen to an early commercial recording of Emile Berliner, and revisit one of the songs played as the Titanic sank, among other things.

In the very first episode of Sound of History, I talk about Europe at the beginning of the 20th century, the events that led up to World War I, the aftermath of WWI and how America became the country that dominated western pop culture influence.