[Dixielandjazz] Jazz in New Orleans

[Anton Crouch]

Hello all

The latest issue of the IAJRC Journal (Vol 42, No 2, June 2009) contains
2 reviews of Samuel Charters' new book "A trumpet around the corner: the
story of New Orleans jazz" (University Press of Mississippi, 2008). The
longer review, by listmate Charles Suhor, is very good and it makes the
excellent point that we need to actually hear the work of early New
Orleans bands.

This lead me to think about some of the legends about the emergence of
jazz, in New Orleans and elsewhere, and to ask the question "what is the
evidence supporting these stories?". In particular:

1. The Buddy Bolden cylinder. In print, this story dates from 1957 -
Charles E Smith's article in "Saturday Review", 16 March 1957. Smith's
article was based on interviews with Willie Cornish in 1939. Does anyone
have a copy of the article? Or know of any earlier reference?

2. The Wilbur Sweatman cylinder. Brian Rust ("Jazz records, 1897-1942")
lists this c1903 Minneapolis recording of "Maple leaf rag". Does anyone
know if a copy has ever been discovered?

3. The Columbia telegram. Some time ago, in the sleeve notes to a CD
reissue, I came across a reference to a Columbia Graphaphone Company
executive visiting New Orleans c1918, searching for bands to record in
the wake of the success of the ODJB. He supposedly send a telegram to
head office in New York, saying "No jazz in New Orleans". Does anyone
know which CD this is, and what is the basis for the story?

4. Freddie Keppard's Victor recording contract. This is discussed
at-length in Lawrence Gushee's "Pioneers of jazz, the story of the
Creole Band" (Oxford University Press, 2005). Gushee concludes that
Keppard did turn down a recording contract in early 1916 and, also, made
test recordings. Has the proposed contract, a copy of which was
supposedly kept by the band, turned up?

I am sceptical about the test recordings. Victor kept ledger details of
test recordings, even those with no matrix numbers, and I can find
nothing to support the story in the Victor Discography Project at the
University of California, Santa Barbara.

Any info, on any of these subjects, will be greatly appreciated.

All the best,
Anton