[Dixielandjazz] Fwd: Fw: Keep (it) Swinging

Mon Sep 14 00:51:51 PDT 2015

We have heard about the modern-traditional strife in the States, and the
Mancunian greeted Bruce Turner  with a banner "Get out of here, dirty
bopper," but it's nothing compared to the French!  And the French audiences
have a reputation of equally accepting "modern" and "traditional."

The English is not great, but the article is very interesting.  I assume
that the author has made the translation.
Enjoy

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שולח: *Keep (it) Swinging, *

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The 1948 Jazz Festival in Nice - # 1
<http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/KeepitSwinging/~3/ODrZ3zNkcvQ/the-1948-jazz-festival-in-nice-1.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email>

Posted: 13 Sep 2015 05:23 AM PDT
The *Nice Jazz Festival* was founded by *Hugues Panassié* and lasted from
the 22 to 28 February 1948. It featured a repertory of traditional jazz,
swing, and bop music and was the first international jazz festival. Georg
Lankester writes an extended essay about the festival. The text in Dutch
was published earlier here
<http://keepitswinging.blogspot.dk/2015/05/het-jazz-festival-van-1948-in-nice-part.html>,
the second part in English will be published later.

*A World Premiere*

<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vEnVcJDWuLU/VVy9L_W_jgI/AAAAAAAADSs/DJxGrNM1AZo/s1600/HuguesPanassie1.jpg>Hugues
Pannasié
In early 1948, when the greatest misery of the war slowly faded, president
of the *Hot Club de France* organization *Hugues Panassié* had the idea to
organize a jazz festival from February 22nd to 28th (- immediately after
the carnival) at the Riviera in Nice. He relied on the earlier success of
the film festival in Cannes and the ideas of the committee which organized
festivities in the city of Nice.

It would be an absolute premiere, for never before had such a festival
occurred in the world. Even the Americans had not organized anything of the
like.

But Pannasié's initiative, announced in the magazine *"Jazz Hot"*, was
primarily intended to get the traditional jazz into the spotlight. Because
.... ..What was the state of art in Jazz? From the beginning of the 1940s
had started a new jazz movement in the USA, the *bebop*. The swing was more
or less on its peak.

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2EU9PtnyZBY/VVy98pV6RcI/AAAAAAAADS0/FIt1M0PapuU/s1600/Dela0001.jpg>Charles
Delaunay
Secretary *Charles Delaunay* (whose efforts had resulted in *Django
Reinhardt’s* fame) was particularly fascinated by the new style, unlike
Panassié. Even Django liked all modern. There was thus already registered
the start of a conflict within the Hot Club de France organization.

While Panassié’s festival was sponsored and musicians like *Louis Armstrong*
with his "All Stars" band had been invited, as well as other greats like *Earl
Hines, Barney Bigard, Baby Dodds, Jack Teagarden, Rex Stewart* and *Mezz
Mezzrow*, Delaunay contributed with 17 men counting on the orchestra of *Dizzy
Gillespie* to participate. Bebop trumpeter Dizzy was shortly before the
festival invited by Delaunay and now arose among jazz fans two camps:
traditional or modern jazz.
<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MF9SyeM16Qs/VVy-pkE7cTI/AAAAAAAADTA/I6x06v5gWYo/s1600/dizzy%252C%2Bfrance%2B1948.JPG>Dizzy
Gillespie, 1948
Before he came to France, Dizzy was dogged by bad luck. In Paris, he gave a
series of concerts at the famed *Salle Pleyel*. But Panassié, who attended
the first concert, was extremely negative and stated that this was not
jazz. On subsequent appearances there were clashes between supporters and
opponents and even the gendarmerie had necessarily been involved.

In the month prior to the Festival, *Django Reinhardt* played in the ABC
theatre, near Les Halles. Dizzy went there one night after his performance.
He found the guitarist along with bassist *Emmanuel Soudieux*. Django was
positively surprised, because he had already met the trumpeter during his
visit to America in 1946 and the two musicians had become good friends and
admired each other.
<http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C8n_kI2JSts/VVy_bjt-VrI/AAAAAAAADTM/jetkpxyGTZY/s1600/dizzy-and-django.jpg>Dizzy
Gillespie & Django Reinhardt
Spontaneously that night resulted in a jam session which Soudieux
remembered how great both musicians played and exchanged turns and what a
pleasure they experienced doing it.

*Delaunay*also arranged a concert for Dizzy in Marseille plus - as
mentioned earlier - participation in the great jazz event in Nice.

<http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UxDQAl9omxw/VVzAWGyk3WI/AAAAAAAADTY/BFGpx4FNz3g/s1600/signed%2Bfrontpage%2Bof%2Bfestival%2Bprogram%2B1948.jpg>Festival
program
*Jazz and Entertainment*

Now something about the actual festival: To maximize the attraction of the
public to this event there had been reserved rooms the first day where
could be danced to the music of famous orchestras, while later that week
could be attended concerts.

<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zGDMEnsDMzU/VVzBAqtxbkI/AAAAAAAADTg/E0GiJMW1Q-Q/s1600/hotel%2Bnegresco.jpg>Hotel
Negresco
It was mainly the Americans who entertained dance lovers in the large halls
of the *Hotel Negresco*. But afterwards several band members joined - to
the delight of many Frenchmen - jam sessions in other places, i.e. "*Monte
Cristo*" or "*Christies*". Well known American musicians were treated with
admiration and with all respect by the staff at Negresco. Especially the
drummer of Armstrong's orchestra, *Sidney Catlett* and vocalist *Velma
Middleton* led to the astonishment of the Negresco staff when ordering the
most expensive drinks and meals at 4 o'clock in the morning.
<http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X7sInQlPNkE/VVzBgcVhwaI/AAAAAAAADTo/TcvWk2Irac0/s1600/group_Hotel%2BNegresco%252C%2BNice%2B1948.JPG>Hotel
Negresco: l-r: Louis Vola, Barney Bigard, Django Reinhardt, Earl Hines,
Stéphane Grappelli, Sidney Catlett, Arwell Shaw
And there was, of course, enormous attention and praise for *Satchmo* and
to a lesser extent, the famous French artist *Boris Vian*. Nice to say is
that among the celebrities were also young European jazz musicians
like *Humphrey
Lyttlelton* and *Toots Thielemans*, who - as we know - later would make
great furor.

During the "Nuit de Jazz” there was also a "Tour de Chant" with French
singers *Yves Montand, Suzy Delaire* and coming from Nice *Henri Betti*;
all naturally attracted extra crowds. The hall offered for this event for
600 visitors claimed 5,000 francs for each seating.

*Georg Lankester*

*--- *
*Jo*
*keepitswinging.domain at gmail.com <keepitswinging.domain at gmail.com>*

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