Joe Venuti...father of jazz violin...?

Polkat

As the title says...or was he? Was there any players before Joe that swung, and improvised? Likely there were in other styles, particularly mountain music (way before bluegrass) and possibly blues and ragtime which are of course jazz related, but what about any forms of swinging jazz?

redblues

In terms of jazz violin as we know it today, I wouldn't have too many counter arguments against your title. Venuti was a pure class musician

Didn't the Mills Brothers record a great track called Fiddlin' Joe in his honour

However Stuff Smith was doing the rounds around that time with residency in the Onyx Club New York. He was certainly no slouch

klaatu

Eddie South was another contemporary.