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94 jazz
was spread around, and the Yerba Buena band got its broadcasting and recording contracts.
Also in the early '40s, critic Rudi Blesh (see Appendix "C") was playing his part with a series of lecture-demonstrations on traditional jazz, illustrated by the playing of 'Kid' Ory's band (see page 34) featuring veteran trumpet star Bunk Johnson (see page 33). Sparsely attended at first, these lectures soon achieved remarkable success, and eventually led to a number of historic recording sessions.
Having mentioned the achievements of Lu Watters and Rudi Blesh, we should mention the earlier revivalist efforts of Bob Crosby (younger brother of Bing Crosby) who, in 1937, formed a jazz group known as the Bobcats and played true Dixieland jazz and blues. Also, the boisterous Chicago style of ragtime was kept alive by white bandleader Muggsy Spanier, and by a school of white Chicago players under the leadership of Eddie Condon—who is also responsible for some of the funniest and most vivid reporting of the jazz scene (see Appendix "C").
England was a bit later off the mark. To England in 1921 had come the Original Dixieland Jass Band —not, alas, to play real jazz, but to 'give the public what it wanted' (i.e. contortions and comic hats). In the following years, dance music in England was represented by the efficient big bands of Jack Hylton, Bert Ambrose, Lew Stone and others: all playing in a polished and musicianly style and with impeccable taste, but none providing inspired or exciting musical ideas. |
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