The Jazz Revolution: Twenties America and the Meaning of Jazz

240 Pages·1989·12.72 MB·English

by  Kathy J. Ogren

The Jazz Revolution
This page intentionally left blank
The Jazz Revolution
Twenties America
£sf the Meaning of Jazz
Kathy J. Ogren
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York Oxford
For my mother Kathleen Joanne Ogren
and to the memory of my father Robert A. Ogren
Oxford University Press
Oxford New York Toronto
Delhi Bombay Calcutta Madras Karachi
Kuala Lumpur Singapore Hong Kong Tokyo
Nairobi Dar es Salaam Cape Town
Melbourne Auckland
and associated companies in
Berlin Ibadan
Copyright © 1989 by Kathy J. Ogren
First published in 1989 by Oxford University Press, Inc.,
198 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10016-4314
First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback, 1992
Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without prior permission of Oxford University Press.
Library of Congress Cataloging--in-Pnblication Data
Ogren, Kathy J.
The Jazz Revolution: Twenties America and the meaning of jazz / Kathy J. Ogren.
p. cm. Bibliography: p. Includes index.
1. Jazz music—United States. 2. Music and society. 3. United
States—Popular culture—History—20th century. I. Title.
ML.3508.037 1987
781'.57'0973—dc19 88-22596 CIP MN
"Jazzorna" and "The Cat and the Saxophone" are Copyright 1926
by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. and rencwed 1954 by Langston Hughes.
Reprinted from The Weary Blues', by Langston Hughes, by permis-
sion of the publisher.
ISBN 0-19-505153-X
ISBN 0-19-507479-3 (PBK.)
10987654
Printed in the United States of America
Acknowledgments
Like most jazz performances, this book is not a solo act. I have
depended on contributions from others.
Most of my primary materials came from two outstanding
jazz archives that contain valuable oral histories as well as other
research materials. Curtis Jerde and the staff of the William
Ransom Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University, New Orleans,
helped me find oral histories and photographs. Dan Morgen-
stern and the staff of the Rutgers University Institute for Jazz
Studies, Newark, likewise guided me through the riches of their
collection. The Special Collections staff of the University of Cali-
fornia Library, Los Angeles, provided useful information about
West Coast entertainment, particularly in the George P. Johnson
Negro Film Collection. Robert Brubaker and the Prints and Pho-
tographs staff at the Chicago Historical Society gave me useful
pointers about jazz photographs. Summer research grants from
the University of Redlands made possible my trips to the ar-
chives. The inter-Library Loan, Special Collections, and Periodi-
cals staff of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library at The Johns Hop-
kins University, and the staff of the George Armacost Library at
The University of Redlands also helped me track down sources.
The Jazz Revolution: Twenties America and the Meaning of Jazz
began as my Ph.D. thesis. I received many helpful comments
v
vi Twenties America and the Meaning of Jazz
from members of my dissertation committee, although I was
unable to incorporate all of their suggestions. Consequently, I'd
like to thank my supervisors Ronald G. Walters and Vernon
Lidtke, and committee members Yves-Alain Bois, Toby Ditz,
Gillian Feeley-Harnick, and Daniel O. Naiman. Donald Bren-
neis, Robert A. Hill, Tyrus Miller, Daniel Wilson, and Deanna
Shemek read all or parts of the dissertation and I appreciate
their encouragement.
Several people proofread and offered critiques of the manu-
script. Ronald G. Walters and Curt Jerde provided insightful
comments on the introduction and Chapter One, Pat Wasielewski
noted several important misconceptions in Chapter Two, and
Sidney J. Lemelle read the entire text and gave generously of his
time and counsel. In this, as in many projects, I owe special thanks
to Ronald G. Walters, Daniel Horowitz, and Helen Lefkowitz
Horowitz. While tolerating my eccentricities, they nevertheless
continued to give sound advice and solid support. This acknowl-
edgment is but a small measure of my appreciation for their pa-
tience and confidence in my efforts.
Sharon Widomski and Marilynn Lawrence somehow man-
aged to make clean copy out of my writing and typing. Neva
Makgetla rescued me from a serious jam on the word-processor.
Tyrico Z. Tyler checked references for me, and, with Mark
Ankcorn, helped prepare the final draft. Roland Marchand sent
me the perfect magazine illustration and Zeph Makgetla helped
me with photographic tasks.
I am grateful for the sensible recommendations and advice of
my editor, Sheldon Meyer. The Oxford University Press staff,
especially, Rachel Toor and Leona Capeless, gave careful and
much-appreciated attention to preparing the manuscript. Celia
Petty prepared the index.
Although I cannot properly acknowledge all of them, many
friends, family members, colleagues, and students cheered my
progress and ensured the completion of this project. In particu-
lar, I thank James Sandos and Patricia Wasielewski of The Uni-
versity of Redlands, who regularly reminded me to make this
book a priority. Ida Altman, Allyson Smith, Nancy Langer,
Acknowledgments vii
Karen Holden, Tyrus Miller, Deanria Shemek, Bill Roberts,
Debra Roberts, Ahmed Sehrawy, Sharon Smith, Lance Selfa,
and Dan Shelton made sure I had a place to stay, the appropri-
ate coordinates for negotiating new cities, and peace and quiet
in which to work. Roxanne Wilson and Dan Shelton shared
both the exhilaration and frustration of this adventure—their
optimism often served me well.
My mother, Kathleen Joanne Ogren, never hesitated to give
me material and emotional support for writing The Jazz Revolu-
tion: Twenties America and the Meaning of Jazz. With gratitude, I
dedicate this book to her and to the memory of my father, both
of" whom first taught me the gift of song.
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
Introduction: The Significance of the Jazz
Controversy for Twenties America 3
1. "Comin' Down the Same Drain": Performance Practice
of Bluesmen, Minstrels, and Jazzmen 11
2. "All the Lights Were Tinted Green or Red": Location
and Setting for Jazz Performance 56
3. Dance-Tested Records and Syncopep for the
Millions 87
4. From Devil's Music to Jooking: Jazz Performance
and the Black Community 111
5. Prudes and Primitives: White Americans Debate
Jazz 139
Conclusion: Performance Crossroads 162
Notes 167
Bibliographic Essay and
Suggested Readings 197
Index 213
Illustrations follow page 110