[Dixielandjazz] It was nevere easy - was -Why American's Don't Like Jazz

[Steve Barbone]

 Russ Guarino <russg at redshift.com>
> 
> My wife & I are just finishing Eddie Condon's autobiography.  He repeats over
> and over how difficult it was to get jazz gigs back in the 20s & 30s. It was
> never easy, gentlemen.

I'm hip Russ. Glad to see you reading Condon and his "expose" on the "Jazz
Age". Gives you a different perspective doesn't it?

There was no Jazz Age. When Whiteman was crowned "King of Jazz" in 1924 by
an over zealous press agent, most Americans didn't have the vaguest idea
what jazz was, according to not only Condon, but almost all credible jazz
writers/historians like say, Dan Morgenstern.

What passed for jazz was peppy dance music with an 8 bar solo in the middle
of an arrangement. Yeah, I know, Whiteman had all these jazz soloists, but
they were buried in a 60 piece Orchestra, and had limited solo space. Kind
of like Lawrence Welk who had Pete Fountain, then Peanuts Hucko, and, of
course, Bob Havens (for a lot of years) in his band. Anybody think Welk's
big band was a jazz band because of them?

Cheers,
Steve Barbone