[Dixielandjazz] Jazz and Jass in the early years

[Vaxtrpts at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/25/2006 9:32:27 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time,  
dixielandjazz-request at ml.islandnet.com writes:

> My  understanding is that
> "Jass" was the first descriptive word for early  Dixieland styling
> "Jazz" was the later word.
My understanding as  well.  But there's far more than that.  "Jass" was
also a word  with a specific sexual meaning.  I would blush to type more
here, in a  public forum. Instead, I'll post a link to a long discussion
of the  terms:
_http://www.answers.com/topic/jazz_ (http://www.answers.com/topic/jazz) 
For  specifics, scroll down to the paragraph below the photo of  Louis
Armstrong.
Jim O'Briant



>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I looked through the website that you gave, Jim.  Some interesting  stuff.
Here is my "take" on it.
I was lucky enough to live and perform in New Orleans 30 years ago, when  
many of the Old Timers were still around and playing their respective butts  off! 
 People like: Papa French, Frog Joseph, Sweet Emma Barrett, Placide  Adams, 
Louis Cotrell, Teddy Reily, Freddy Kohlman, and many others.  I  LOVED being 
there, getting a chance to play with them, and ask questions about  the old 
days, which I did --- a bunch.
>From them: 
The Jazz word was the "dirty" one.
Some of them told me a story of a music critic for the "Times Picayune" who  
hated this new music that people like Freddy Keppard and Buddy Bolden were  
playing.  (He was a classical guy................)  In one column, he  said that 
the music sounded like the "braying of a jackass,"  and "Jass"  was a 
contraction of jackass, sort of done as a put down to this reviewer.   Just another 
story from the many tales of the early years.
Mike Vax