o10, thanks for the kind words. It can be frustrating to read responses from folks who only seem to want to be argumentative, or at the least didn't bother to carefully read something posted before jumping in with inappropriate comments.
frogman, thanks for that link. I have that Monk Ellington album among my collection of his recordings but have not played it in years. Now I need to dig it out so I can "dig it" again. ;^)
In general I do differentiate between a title or general reference, typically by the media, such as "King of Swing" or "Queen of the blues" and a moniker or nickname assumed by a musician to the point they use it to refer to themselves. And while I'm not a sociologist or expert in this area, I always assumed that many black musicians appropriated "royalty" first names as a way to both demand respect for their talents and to honor the tradition started back in the very early 1900s, possibly by "King" Oliver.
frogman, thanks for that link. I have that Monk Ellington album among my collection of his recordings but have not played it in years. Now I need to dig it out so I can "dig it" again. ;^)
In general I do differentiate between a title or general reference, typically by the media, such as "King of Swing" or "Queen of the blues" and a moniker or nickname assumed by a musician to the point they use it to refer to themselves. And while I'm not a sociologist or expert in this area, I always assumed that many black musicians appropriated "royalty" first names as a way to both demand respect for their talents and to honor the tradition started back in the very early 1900s, possibly by "King" Oliver.