Daniel Louis Armstrong is born on July 4 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Blues become a standard feature of honky tonks and dancehalls.
Horn players imitate the human voice with mutes and growls.
New Orleans players are playing a mix of Blues, Ragtime, brass band music, marches, Pop songs and dances. The Jazz stew is brewing. Some musicians are beginning to improvise the Pop songs. The end of the Spanish-American war has brought a surplus of used military band instruments into the port of New Orleans. His wages come from tips from wealthy patrons.