Ireland's Anti-Jazz Campaign

[BillF]

Sounds very similar to the first book on the subject I ever read - a book by mouldy-fig goateed old codger Rex Harris in the school library circa 1975.

I was hooked from that point on. I still have that book somewhere..

Harris's book must have been really ancient history by the time you got to it! I read it in 1957 at the age of 17 and spent a few months as a "jazz purist". His extraordinary message seemed to be that if a band hadn't got a banjo in it, it was no longer jazz and that Ellington ceased to play jazz when he added saxophones in the late 20s!!! Fortunately, Bird, Diz, Monk and Miles blasted me out of that way of thinking when I was 18.

I seem to remember that dear old Rex also asserted that Hawk would have been a great jazz musician if he had played an instrument more suited to jazz, like the clarinet.

[medjuck]

So - no, the above Irish example does not strike me as particularly backwoodsy.

although it really IS eerie to see the parallels between the Irish reference to teaching Irish dances instead of allowing people to dance to jazz and the situation in 30s (and especially Nazi) Germany where German folk and traditional dances of course were promoted as "clean" examples of dancing as opposed to the "lewdness" of dancing to jazz.

To get more insight on the German take on 'proper' music, CA 1930s-40s, read Josef Skvoreky's preface to his novella The Bass Saxophone (the point of which is to give the background against which he and both his real-life Czech friends and the story's fictional characters rebelled with swing dancing, playing jazz etc.). He cites strict Nazi-era rules re 'correct' dance tempos (which I believe even specified metronome markings) to be strictly adhered to by German dance band musicians. Any feeling at these tempos remotely evocative of swing is to be, of course, avoided. For musicians to disregard such directives or otherwise veer towards jazz/swing was to draw dangerously close to indulging in 'JudeoNegro Music' and, if memory serves, 'JudeoNegro caterwauling'. March tempos for military and other official bands are similarly delineated as to the permissible and the verboten. And I'm only remembering the tip of the iceberg, the list goes on and on and gets nuttier and funnier by the sentence. It really makes remarkable reading. Do yourselves a favor and pick up a copy.

I also heartily recommend the novella itself. It's Skvoreky's finest hour IMO.

At one point I owned this book. I'm not sure if it is in storage or I let it slip in one of my moves. I'll try to track it down again...

I myself bought it at least twice, and would again in a heartbeat if it's not in storage.

Aside from the great satirical nailing of petty officials in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, Skvorecky writes quite poetically and accurately about what music does and musicians do. Very amusing and potent general imagery also. He's well translated in English, and not speaking his native language I can only guess as to whether he's as good a writer in his native tongue as anyone ever was. I'm a reader, not a literary critic, but my instincts say 'yes'.

After reading The Bass Saxophone I read everything available by him, starting with short stories which were thinly disguised accounts of growing up with his jazz-playing teen friends. I next progressed to a detective mystery of the type he was compelled to write under a pseudonym to survive after getting in trouble with the Czech government for writing The Heroes. The Heroes, naturally my next read, got him in hot water for his temerity in portraying the Soviet army liberators of WWII concentration camps as humans with human frailties, not the gods the Party was officially letting on about. He eventually emigrated to Canada, where he wrote as he wished and also enjoyed a career as a professor. I've heard of health problems in the past few years at what must be an advanced age. We can only all wish Josef Skvorecky the best for a lifetime of service as artist and conscience who spoke for many.

Glad to see the reference to The Bass Saxophone. Josef is an old friend and I'm proud to say the English translation of the novella is dedicated to me. Unfortunately he has been ill recently.

[fasstrack]

So - no, the above Irish example does not strike me as particularly backwoodsy.

although it really IS eerie to see the parallels between the Irish reference to teaching Irish dances instead of allowing people to dance to jazz and the situation in 30s (and especially Nazi) Germany where German folk and traditional dances of course were promoted as "clean" examples of dancing as opposed to the "lewdness" of dancing to jazz.

To get more insight on the German take on 'proper' music, CA 1930s-40s, read Josef Skvoreky's preface to his novella The Bass Saxophone (the point of which is to give the background against which he and both his real-life Czech friends and the story's fictional characters rebelled with swing dancing, playing jazz etc.). He cites strict Nazi-era rules re 'correct' dance tempos (which I believe even specified metronome markings) to be strictly adhered to by German dance band musicians. Any feeling at these tempos remotely evocative of swing is to be, of course, avoided. For musicians to disregard such directives or otherwise veer towards jazz/swing was to draw dangerously close to indulging in 'JudeoNegro Music' and, if memory serves, 'JudeoNegro caterwauling'. March tempos for military and other official bands are similarly delineated as to the permissible and the verboten. And I'm only remembering the tip of the iceberg, the list goes on and on and gets nuttier and funnier by the sentence. It really makes remarkable reading. Do yourselves a favor and pick up a copy.

I also heartily recommend the novella itself. It's Skvoreky's finest hour IMO.

At one point I owned this book. I'm not sure if it is in storage or I let it slip in one of my moves. I'll try to track it down again...

I myself bought it at least twice, and would again in a heartbeat if it's not in storage.

Aside from the great satirical nailing of petty officials in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, Skvorecky writes quite poetically and accurately about what music does and musicians do. Very amusing and potent general imagery also. He's well translated in English, and not speaking his native language I can only guess as to whether he's as good a writer in his native tongue as anyone ever was. I'm a reader, not a literary critic, but my instincts say 'yes'.

After reading The Bass Saxophone I read everything available by him, starting with short stories which were thinly disguised accounts of growing up with his jazz-playing teen friends. I next progressed to a detective mystery of the type he was compelled to write under a pseudonym to survive after getting in trouble with the Czech government for writing The Heroes. The Heroes, naturally my next read, got him in hot water for his temerity in portraying the Soviet army liberators of WWII concentration camps as humans with human frailties, not the gods the Party was officially letting on about. He eventually emigrated to Canada, where he wrote as he wished and also enjoyed a career as a professor. I've heard of health problems in the past few years at what must be an advanced age. We can only all wish Josef Skvorecky the best for a lifetime of service as artist and conscience who spoke for many.

Glad to see the reference to The Bass Saxophone. Josef is an old friend and I'm proud to say the English translation of the novella is dedicated to me. Unfortunately he has been ill recently.

Yes, we've spoken of your old friend before, Medjuck. I figured you'd weigh in if you read my post, and I'm glad you did. Sorry Mr. Skvorecky is still under the weather, and may he return to health, writing, and B.S. detection/exposure. People like Josef Skvorecky are as rare as they are irreplaceable.

[fasstrack]

I next progressed to a detective mystery of the type he was compelled to write under a pseudonym to survive after getting in trouble with the Czech government for writing The Heroes....

Oops, wrong again! What I remembered as The Heroes actually is titled Zbabelci (The Cowards). For more information on Josef Svorecky and his writings visit his website:

http://skvorecky.com/index.htm