[Dixielandjazz] Re: Jazz Popular?/Mainstream

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Fred,
I have not kept all the posts re this thread, so this may have been quoted
already.
In the 'New Grove Dictionary of Jazz' (1988 edition). James Lincoln Collier's
'Mainstream' entry  says: "A term coined in the 1950s by Stanley Dance to
describe the work of contemporary musicians working in the swing idiom of the
1930s and 1940s."
Contrary to my friend Dan Hardie's Australian 1940s assertion, I would suggest
that it was not until the mid to late 1950s (at least) that we in Oz started to
use the expression.
For what it is worth, the definition does not appear in 'Dictionary Of Jazz'
(Panassie & Gautier. 1956).
However, in 'The New Jazz Book' (Joachim Berendt. 1959) says: "When the new term
"Mainstream' was coined in England for the Swing style of the present, Buck
Clayton became - certainly among European jazz fans - one of the leading
personalities of Mainstream jazz."
In 'Know About Jazz' (Peter Gammond, Peter Clayton. 1963) they say "Mainstream -
It was found that between traditional and modern jazz was a great deal of jazz
which belonged in neither camp. The word mainstream was coined to cover this in
about 1958. It includes the music of Count Basie and similar bands."
Kind regards,
Bill.