Jazz Masters of the Twenties

271 Pages·1974·14.269 MB·English

by  Richard Hadlock

"...asuperiorintroductionto
thatpivotaljazzdecade."
-Playboy
LouisArmstrong
Earl"Fatha"Hines* BixBeiderbecke
FletcherHenderson JamesP.Johnson
*JackTeagarden BessieSmith EddieLang.
DonRedman FatsWaller TheChicagoans
Thesearethejazzgreatspresented,"... notjustpersonallyand his-
torically,butwithcarefulattentiontothemusicitself..."Ebony
"Human qualities are examined with warmth and clarity, as is the
socio-musical backgroundofeachmusician ...an honestandsensi-
tiveapproach..." TheNewYorkPost
The1920switnessed aspiritofcomradeship among jazz musicians,
apowerful spiritthatovercame the barriers of public apathytoward
honestjazz, callousness inthemusic business, racial prejudice, and
twoeconomicdepressions.Richard Hadlockexaminestheindividual
recordings of each important jazz musician of the time, giving us
sensible analyses of style, devoid of the usual myths, cliches, and
oversentimentality. Out-of-print books and collector's records are
listed forthose whowould liketodig deeperinto what is I
"theJazzAge."The Jazz I
RICHARD HA,
aminer and a 100726
tributortoDow
COLLIER BOOKS 866 THIRD AVENUE, NEW YORK.N.Y. 10022

THE MACMILLAN JAZZ MASTERS SERIES
MartinWilliams, GeneralEditor
M
JAZZ ASTERS OF THE TWENTIES
JAZZ MASTERS OF THE THIRTIES
JAZZMASTERS OF THEFORTIES
JAZZ MASTERSOF THE FIFTIES
JAZZMASTERS IN TRANSITION 1957-69
JAZZ MASTERS OF NEWORLEANS
MASTERS
//
./ I
OF THE
TWENTIES
Richard Hadlock
by
COLLIER BOOKS
A
DiuistonofMacmillanPublishingCo.,Inc.
NEW YORK
COLLIER MACMILLAN PUBLISHERS
LONDON
Excerpt from Jazt: Its Evolution and Essence by Andre Hodeir, Trans-
lated by David Noakes, copyright 1956 by the Grove Press, Used by
ExcerptfromRedlytheBluesbyMezzMezzrowand BernardWolfe, copy-
right 1946 by Random House, Inc. Reprinted by permission of the
Harold Matson Company.
Exceipt from Tom Davin's "Conversation with James P, Johnson" in Jazz
Panorama, edited by Martin Williams, copyright 1964, The Macmfllau
"Jail House Blues" by Bessie Smith and Clarence Williams, copyright
rMeXneMwXeXdIMHCMbyLPiacnkdwiacsksigMnuesdictoCoPripcokrwaitcikon,MuNsiecwCoYroprokr,atNi.oYn., 3C2op2yrWiegshtt
48thStreet, NewYork, New York. Usedbypermission, All rightsreserved.
Excerptsfrom Jazz; HotandHybridby Winthrop Sargeant (E, P. Dutton,
1946}. Usedbypermissionoftheauthor,
Copyright 2985byRichardHadlock
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmay
bereproducedortransmitted\nanyformorby
anymeans,electronicormechanical,including
photocopying,recordingorbyanyinformation
storageandretrievalsystem,withoutpermission
inwritingfromthePublisher.
MacmiftmVvblishingCo.,Inc.
866ThirdAvenue,NewYorfc,W,Y. 10022
LibraryofCongressCatakgCardNumber:
JazzMastersoftheTwentiesispublishedina
hardcovereditionbyUacmilknfublishing
Co.,Inc
FirstCollierBooksEdition1974
CONTENTS
Introduction 9
LOUIS ARMSTRONG JTOm IQZj tO IQgl 13
EARL HINES 50
BIX BEIDERBECKE 76
THE CHICAGOANS 106
FATS WALLER and JAMES P. JOHNSON 145
JACK TEAGARDEN 172
FLETCHER HENDERSON and DON REDMAN 1Q4
BESSIE SMITH 219
EDDIE LANG 239

JAZZ MASTERS O THE
JP