How did minstrel performances influence the birth of rock ‘n’ roll? Austen: Louis Jordan, who was trained as a Rabbit’s Foot Minstrel, was one of the architects of rock ‘n’ roll.

On Sept. 4, 1975, Ian Anderson stopped worrying about the larger trajectory and, simply put, wrote music. The resulting Minstrel in the Gallery, a dynamic blend of acoustic intimacy and heavy-rock ...