Before Motown : a history of jazz in Detroit, 1920-60
When most people think of Detroit and music, they think of the Motown sound. But what many people forget is that Detroit has a remarkable jazz history, which became a major influence in what came to be known as the Motown sound. This is the first book about the history of jazz in Detroit. It shows the significant impact Detroit has had on the development of jazz in America, with its own sound, distinct from that of the other jazz centers of Chicago, New Orleans, St. Louis, or Kansas City. Starting with the big bands in the 1920s,with groups like the McKinney's Cotton Pickers and Jean Goldkette's Orchestra, and continuing into the 1950s, Detroit experienced a golden age of modern jazz centered around clubs like the Blue Bird Inn. That jazz scene comes alive in interviews with musicians and club owners, combined with unique period photographs and advertisements. In addition, Detroit's vital jazz scene is placed in its social context, particularly within the changing relations between blacks and whites at the time. Long overdue, this book tells the story of Detroit jazz as it really happened, told by the people who lived it. More importantly, it shows how life can mirror art in the most pragmatic of American cities, Detroit
Print Book, English, ©2001
University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, ©2001
Criticism, interpretation, etc
xiv, 239 pages : illustrations ; 27 cm
9780472097654, 9780472067657, 0472097652, 0472067656
45304954
Music of black Detroit before big band jazz
Detroit and the creation of big band jazz
1930s: Paradise Valley days
Detroit and the birth of bop
West side modern: Detroit jazz clubs in the 1950s
1950s: the golden age of jazz in Detroit
Detroit rhythm and blues: from jump blues to Motown
Social history of Detroit jazz: a summary
Appendix A. List of interviews ; Appendix B. Library resources used ; Appendix C. List of recommended CDs ; Appendix D. Detroit jazz spots, 1920-60 ; Appendix E. Abbreviations used in photo captions