Final answer:
Roy Eldridge was a virtuosic trumpeter significant in the Swing Era and influential for future trumpet players, but he was not known for his smooth vocal style, unlike contemporaries such as Louis Armstrong.
Step-by-step explanation:
All of the following are true of Roy Eldridge EXCEPT: c) He was known for his smooth vocal style. Roy Eldridge, a virtuosic trumpeter, undoubtedly played a significant role in the Swing Era and had a strong influence on later trumpet players. However, unlike the musician Louis Armstrong, who was known for his raspy sounding voice and improvisational skills, Eldridge was not particularly noted for his vocal style. Louis Armstrong was a key figure in jazz, heavily influential in the Harlem Renaissance and is often referred to as the "most important improviser" in jazz history. The influence of Armstrong and other notable jazz artists like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway, who performed at venues such as Harlem's Cotton Club, helped to shape 21st Century music. Blues music, which evolved from African-American spirituals and was popular during the Harlem Renaissance, was known for its powerful vocalists, such as Bessie Smith, titled "The Empress of the Blues". In this context, Roy Eldridge's contribution to the Jazz era through his trumpet playing, rather than his vocal ability, stands out.