We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
rummaging about Lulu White's Mahogany Hall. Scrawled in longhand on the wall of the gent's retiring room it impressed Avakian so that he shouted it in a loud voice. Too loud, as it happened, for a Belgian lawyer, Robert Goffin, was outside (unbeknownst to us) taking notes for what was to be the first jazz book. This, I believe, was in 1898 for I distinctly recall a distant cornet and Bill looking towards the Mississippi and saying, "Buddy must be over in Algiers today." But to continue. Goffin's book, as I understand it, was to have been called Aux Frontieres du Memphis Five. As we all know, it calne out, Aux Frontieres du Jazz, Goffin having misunderstood Avakian's impetuous shout to have referred to the piano player or Professor, in this instance Clarence Williams (plug). So you see, jazz has utterly no place in music and is only there as the result of someone who put success before semantics.
Now as to the true meaning of the word and how it came to be scrawled on the wall (old. Carrara marble, with gold and onyx inlay). A prime annoyance at Mahogany Hall was the sound of the trains puffing into the station of the Southern Railway nearby. Having this in mind I hastened to the library and got down Darwin's Origin of Species. This didn't seem to be quite right but next to it I found a musty volume called It Fays Here — an early work subtitled The Tyrannie of Meanings.
This absorbing study made it quite clear that jazz, in its original connotation, referred to sound or/and movement, e.g. "He hit him with a heavy jass over the head,"" or (1577) "The mares in foal must be kept in, neyther labored nor jassed up and downe, nor suffered to take cold." However, along about 1679 the word was rapidly being corrupted for we read in the London Gazette: "Lost of His Majesties, an enternewed jass falcon, with the king's varvels upon her jesses." (And if you think they're kidding you'd better brush up on yotu' falconry!) But it took the ruggedly individualistic Americans to put the word on the skids and well on its way towards becoming a term meaning ra-ta-te-ta and oh you kid ... a college professor solemnly writes : "Pass a circular saw revolving 500 times a second through a keg of 10 penny nails. That is jasm."
And that's where I came in. Let's go back to Julius', the set's over. You wanna know what'll' cook when there aint no more home cooking? Well, I think it's time all jazz critics realized that a new art form is coming {Continued on page 35)
SEPTEMBER, 1945
MELROSE
A NEW JAZZ LABEL takes pride in announcing the release of two exciting 12 inch Records.
Buck Clayton's Quintet
Buck Clayton, trumpet* Flip Phillips, tenor sax; "Theodocius", piano; Slam Stewart, bass; Danny Alvhv drums.
1201 — DIGA DIGA DOO LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME
1202 — WE'RE IN THE MONEY B. C. BLUES
Tone Quality and Material of the Finest Obtainable.
Pressed on Plastic
Price, $1.57 each
Includes All Taxes A 25c charge is made on each order for packing. Shipped Railway Express. Shipping Charges Collect.
Check or money order must accompany each order. No C.O.D.'s accepted.
MELROSE RECORD CO.
601 EAST 19th STREET Brooklyn 26, N. Y. MAnsfield 6-7501
33