[Dixielandjazz] Can Rusher

[Ric Giorgi]

I agree with Steve on this one Don. Given the arc of Jelly's life
I'd go for the contraceptive definition. But, like Pablo Casals said
about patriotism ("The love of one's country is a natural thing, but
why stop at the border?") why stop at one definition? Jelly might
well have done both. 

Ricardo Giorgi
Rainbow Gardens Music
Toronto ON
rgmusic at sympatico.ca

-----Original Message-----
From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Stephen
G Barbone
Sent: March 29, 2008 4:35 PM
To: Ric Giorgi
Cc: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Can Rusher

Mopo asked about "can rushers". Ric's answer is right in the cleaned

up sense of the word. A can rusher was the kid who go a bucket of
beer  
for the folks, usually prostitutes in Morton's case.

However, there is a more sex-oriented connotation to the phrase,
which  
seems to fit JRMs stature back then.

"For many women sex workers, contraception becomes a major issue.
The  
early jazz pioneer, Jelly Roll Morton says that he made himself a
"can  
rusher" in a New Orleans Bordello just to learn the "219 Blues" and

other songs by Mamie Desdume. (He also claims to have invented jazz

thus casting considerable doubt on his overall credibility).
Bordello  
contraception consisted basically of douching (often with coke
bottles  
and towels), flushing out the sperm as much to clean up for the next

John as to avoid pregnancy."

"The explosion of varieties of contraceptive devices - chemicals  
(however dangerous some of them have proven to be in their long term

disruption of hormonal physiology_ as well as the more sophisticated

physical devices - have made the can rusher obsolete" (remainder  
snipped) . . . . .

Pages 187 and 188
"Why We Do It: Rethinking Sex and the Selfish Gene"  by Niles  
Eldridge. 2004.

There are additional back-ups of similar views of the expression
"can  
rusher" to be found on the internet.

Take your choice Don.

BTW, the same question was asked on the DJML in 2002 and the answer

given was the person who went for the beer. However, given JRM's
bawdy  
nature, I vote for contraceptive assistant and/or towel boy. <grin>


Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband






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