Louis Jordan is the man! For several years, I had a radio show on Saturday nights I called the "Saturday Night Fish Fry", with Mr. Jordan supplying the theme song. The first rock and roller, IMHO.
Jordan was certainly a pioneer.
I love to listen to him and watch videos like that one. His lyrics and his performances were unabashed expressions of African-American culture, e.g.: "Is you is or is you ain't my baby?" Somewhere along the line too many young black artists decided that "keepin' it real" means being angry, mean, and obscene. Ain't no hate in a Louis Jordan song, just a whole lotta fun.