Let the Good Times Roll

Louis Jordan recorded Let the Good Times Roll in New York in 1946 with his Tympany Five, featuring Jordan on vocal and alto saxophone in a tight small-band arrangement. The song was written by Sam Theard and Fleecie Moore and produced for Decca during Jordans peak hitmaking period. Released by Decca in 1946, Let the Good Times Roll became one of Jordans signature records and reached number 2 on the Billboard Race Records chart. Its celebratory vocal, jump-band rhythm, and compact arrangement helped define the sound of postwar rhythm and blues. Let the Good Times Roll became a standard through later recordings by Ray Charles, B.B. King, Quincy Jones, and many other artists. Jordans version remains one of the key records linking swing-era small groups to rhythm and blues and early rock and roll.