[Dixielandjazz] Re: [australian-dance-bands] Jazz in pre-WW2 Italy

[Fred Spencer]

Dear Ross,
Almost irrelevant, but Louis Armstrong was among the pioneers. Two photos in 
Jazz Away From Home by Chris Goddard (Paddington Press, 1979) shows him 
playing in Turin in1934. British bands did a lot of European shows, 
especially Jack Hylton. Perhaps Nat Gonella was drawn to Italy-in The Nat 
Gonella Story by Ron Brown (Milestone,1985), Nat says "For a showbiz 
connection we can go back to the 15th century when an Italian nobleman, 
Nicolo d'Este, had a jester named Gonella"! Regards.

Fred

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ross Laird" <Ross.Laird at afc.gov.au>
To: <australian-dance-bands at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, April 10, 2006 9:00 PM
Subject: Re: [australian-dance-bands] Jazz in pre-WW2 Italy


> John Whiteoak wrote:
> Dear All
> Does anyone have any knowledge at all about jazz/dance music in Italy in
> the 1920s and '30s.  I have just come from an interesting  lecture by an
> eminant Swiss-Italian professor/music historian (Marcello Source Kellor)
> who surprised me in stating that there was virtually no Italian
> (Italians in Italy) interest in jazz related music until after WW2.  I
> know the Italian fascists, like the Nazis, were not at all keen on what
> they called  'Nigger-Jew jazz' but I never knew that Italian society was
> insulated from early jazz (in the widest possible senses of the term)
> influence to such a degree (and frankly find it a bit hard to digest).
> Any info would be much appreciated.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> It seems the "eminant" professor is rather ignorant about pre WW2 Italian
> jazz and dance music!
>
> While it's probably true to say that awareness of *real* jazz (whatever
> that means) was limited in Italy during the pre WW2 era there were
> certainly plenty of jazz and hot dance recordings made in Italy in the
> 1920s and 1930s.
>
> Well known black jazz trombonist Herb Flemming worked there in the 1930s
> (and recorded). There were also many great jazz records released in Italy
> during the 1920s & 1930s on Brunswick, Decca, Odeon and the Italian
> equivalent of HMV among other labels... so Italians of that era were
> certainly aware of what jazz sounded like (just like almost everywhere
> else
> in the world).
>
> There were even a few good Italian jazz records released here in about
> 1940 on the Macquarie label. Listen to Kramer & His Orchestra play
> "Dancing
> at the 50th floor" on Macquarie 535 (originally on Italian Fonit) --- this
> is a very competent swing band recording with excelent solos recorded
> c.1938.
>
> I have a book on the history of Italian jazz with a good discography (but
> it's mostly in Italian). This details a very active jazz scene in the
> pre-1945 era.
>
> In summary, the views expressed by the so-called music historian you
> mention seem to be sadly lacking as regards depth of knowledge of the
> pre-war music scene in Italy. There's ample evidence to challenge the view
> he apparently puts.
>
> Ross
>
>
>
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