Big Joe

So . . . who invented rock and roll?My money's on this guy.Not only did he record "Roll 'Em Pete", the first song with a backbeat, in 1938, but he mastered a whole series of musical genres.  Blues, jump blues, R&B, jazz, big band swing, and finally rock and roll.In addition to recording with jazz greats Art Tatum, Duke Ellington, and Sammy Price, he gave the Basie Orchestra a big shot in the arm with their collaboration.And then "Shake, Rattle, and Roll," with its risque lyrics, made him a...