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Lost Chords: White musicians and their contributions to jazz
A groundbreaking and con
troversial exploration of white
Jazz musicians that redefines
the history and identity of jazz
Is jazz black? Many jazz
musicians, critics and fans
would argue that it is, con
tending that white jazz musi
cians’contributions have been
minimal, if not wholly insig
nificant. Now comes Lost
Chords: White Musicians and
Their Contributions to Jazz,
1915-1945 by renowned jazz
historian and trumpeter Rich
ard M. Sudhalter (OUP; $35),
a book that “rediscovers” the
once-admired white musicians
of the ‘2os and ‘3os, restoring
their major presence in the
history and culture of jazz.
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Call 724-7867 to Subscribe |
The eagerly awaited Lost
Chords documentstherich and
varied contributions of white
musicians during the forma
tive years of jazz, reformulat
ing jazz as not merely a black
institution, but one that genu
inely extends itself
multiculturally. Sudhalterin
troduces a number of white
star players — musicians who
were pivotal and indispens
able, renowned and revered
by colleagues and the public
alike. Drawing on 10 years of
research and thousands of re
corded music samples,
Sudhalter takes readers on a
remarkable journey through
the hotbeds of jazz, from New
Orleansto Chicago, New York,
AUGUSTA FOCUS JUNE 17, 1999
and even Indiana and Texas.
Written with precision and
careful detail, and loaded with
fascinating anecdotes,
Sudhalter profiles such major
figures as Benny Goodman,
Jack Teagarden, and Bunny
Berigan, and salutes such
overlooked jazz greats as mal
let pioneer Red Norvo, multi
instrumentalist Adrian
Rollini, virtuoso trumpeter
Jack Purvis, and baritone sax
stalwart Ernie Caceres. At
once a riveting narrative and
a probing musical analysis,
Sudhalter also visits the semi
nal Original Dixieland Jazz
Band and New Orleans
Rhythm Kings, and shedslight
onsuchinfluentialjazzmen as
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the Original Memphis Five
and the Georgians; the Casa
Loma Orchestra, architects of
the Swing Era; the dark forces
driving Bix Beiderbecke; the
brilliant, paradoxical Artie
Shaw; the peerless cornet lyri
cism of Bobby Hackett; the
innovative music of the Red
Nichols circle of the ‘2os; the
surrealisticclarinet creativity
of Pee Wee Russell; and the
violin-guitar artistry of Joe
Venuti and Eddie Lang.
In reviving the once-great
reputations ofthese and many
other jazz musicians,
Sudhalter offers a persuasive,
eloquent, non-didactic plea. to
recognize these grand talents,
careful not to obscure theroles
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of such great black jazz pio
neers as Louis Armstrong,
Lester Young, Duke Ellington,
and Coleman Hawkins, among
countless others. A
groundbreaking book, Lost
Chords will significantly alter
perceptions about jazz and its
players as it replaces a key
ingredient to jazz history.
Lost Chords: White Musi
ciansand Their Contributions
toJazz, 1915-1945 by Richard
M. Sudhalter, $35, ISBN: 0-
19-505585-3.
About the author
Richard M. Sudhalter is
noted critic, broadcaster and
historian, he was co-author of
Bix: Man and Legend.
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