mouldy past: shiny future? - sftradjazz.org · mouldy past: shiny future by william carter 1 from...

Frisco CricketPublished by the San Francsico Traditional Jazz Foundation Spring 2006

MOULDMOULDMOULDMOULDMOULDY PY PY PY PY PASASASASASTTTTT: SHINY FUTURE?: SHINY FUTURE?: SHINY FUTURE?: SHINY FUTURE?: SHINY FUTURE?

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Contents

Mouldy PMouldy PMouldy PMouldy PMouldy Pasasasasasttttt: Shin: Shin: Shin: Shin: Shiny Fy Fy Fy Fy Futuruturuturuturutureeeee by William Carter 1From the EditorFrom the EditorFrom the EditorFrom the EditorFrom the Editor by Scott Anthony 2“Jazz” W“Jazz” W“Jazz” W“Jazz” W“Jazz” Was Boras Boras Boras Boras Born In San Fn In San Fn In San Fn In San Fn In San Frrrrranciscoanciscoanciscoanciscoancisco by Daniel Cassidy 3Membership Application and Product ListMembership Application and Product ListMembership Application and Product ListMembership Application and Product ListMembership Application and Product List 11

by William Carter

“The more you try, the luckier you are.”— clarinetist Pee Wee Russell

Largely unheralded, your SFTJF Archivebuilds at its own tempo.

One example: recently we trekked to theuncharted wilds of the San Rafael city dump.Guided by one Ken Ackerman, a CBS radio vet-eran of the wartime and postwar years, and byDave Radlauer, whose program Jazz Rhythm(www.jazzhot.bigstep.com) has been jazzingradio listeners and computer streamers acrossmuch of the nation for some years now, we tra-versed the meandering byways of a kind of sun-baked white village of freshly painted, refurbishedcargo containers.

Inside one was a jazz collector’s motherlode: a neatly ordered array of boxes full of ten-inch tapes, along with other memorabilia of radiodays gone by.

The tapes had been made and saved forover half a century by a chum of Ackerman’s,another CBS radioman and jazz nut, Bob Guerner.Although it includes recordings of such things aslocal Latin bands of the 50’s, and the San FranciscoOpera of the 60’s, the heart of the collection is theoriginal live recordings of traditional jazz exquis-itely made and saved by announcer Guerner ofbands such as Kid Ory, Earl Hines, and Acker-man’s friend Muggsy Spanier, and soloists includ-

ing pianist Meade Lux Lewis, primarily at thefamous Bush Street watering hole, the Club Hang-over. Many of these recordings have been issuedover the years by Denmark’s Storyville Recordsand others. Radlauer is in the slow process ofchecking thoroughly to see which, if any, werenever issued. Equally importantly, with supportfrom SFTJF, he is making duplicate copies for hisown radio show, and for the SFTJF Archive. Thesecopies will be done according to the latest bestpractices technical specifications recently promul-gated by the Library of Congress.

We suspect there may be some very differ-ent, amazing hidden treasures tucked away in thecardboard boxes that went zipping back across theGolden Gate Bridge in Dave’s seemingly harmlessdark grey (with a few rusty accents) van.

Had I just emerged from a James Bond film?Whatever the final report on our treasure

hunt, your Foundation will have played somesmall role in making sure that at least two near-perfect copies of those tapes exist, in perpetuity, inlocations other than the San Rafael city dump.

Delayed by Katrina in New Orleans whereour own CD’s are co-produced by George Buck’sGHB label, three of our own forthcoming CD’s willsoon be making some other rare gems widelyavailable.

Stay tuned. e

The Frisco Cricket Spring 2006

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The Frisco CricketIssue No. 31

Published by theSAN FRANCISCO TRADITIONAL

JAZZ FOUNDATION41 Sutter Street, PMB 1870

San Francisco, California 94104Phone: (415) 522-7417, FAX: (415) 922-6934

Website: www.sftradjazz.orgE-mail: [email protected]

Publisher: William CarterManaging Editor and Layout: Scott Anthony

Curator of the Archive : Clint BakerSpecial Projects Consultant: Hal Smith

Office Manager: Bunch SchlosserDirectors

Unless otherwise noted,all contents copyright © 2006

San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation

William AlhouseJohn R. Browne IIICharles Campbell

William CarterJim Cullum

Charles HugginsJohn MatthewsWilliam Tooley

Leon OakleyTerry O’Reilly

Advertise in the Cricket!

In an effort to help defray the costs ofmaintaining all the varied programs that SFTJFsupports, including The Frisco Cricket itself,we’re going to begin providing limited advertis-ing space here. We want to be fair to everyone, sothere are a few rules we’d like to follow:

• The advertiser should be in a musicrelated (preferably Traditional Jazz related)business (band, club, cruise, radio station, etc.).

• No more than a total of 2 full pages willbe used in any single issue of the Cricket, so adswill be accepted on a first-come, first-servedbasis.

• We need to be able to maintain the rightto accept or reject advertisements at our discre-tion.

• Please send your ad to:Cricket Editor

San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation41 Sutter Street, PMB 1870

San Francisco, CA 94104• Or (preferably) by email to:

[email protected] [email protected]

Advertising Ratesper issue

1/8 Page $35, 1/4 Page $50, 1/2 Page $75

From the EditorPart of the reason for this issue of The

Frisco Cricket being late is the dirth of materialsuitable or available for publication. Thankfully,the main article for this issue was offered to usseemingly completely out of the blue. Receiving anunsolicited piece like this is a welcome and won-derful thing to have happen. It not only makes mylife a whole lot less stressful, but gives you theopportunity to read articles on a much widervariety of jazz related topics.

I think Dan Cassidy’s contribution, basedon 5 years of hard work with thousands of hoursof research and scholarship, is unbelievably gener-ous as well as being especially informative (andbasically fun to read). I’m hoping that many ofyou SFTJF members might follow Dan’s lead andsend articles (or even just ideas for articles) to me.They will be much appreciated, believe me.

Another contribution that needs to beacknowleged and that ties in with Bill Carter’s

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piece on the previous page is from Dave Frey,banjoist with John Howard’s San Francisco Star-light Orchestra, the Eldorado Syncopators, andother North Bay bands, as well as an online banjoinstructor. Back about five years ago, two monthsbefore Bill Carroll’s death, we organized a BillCarroll testimonial party at the First UnitarianCenter at Geary and Franklin in San Francisco.Much to Bill’s surprise (but no one else’s) it wasattended by almost every living San Francisco BayArea (and other area) traditional jazz musician andfriend. Somehow during the evening Dave Freymanaged to get everyone in one place to pose withBill for a picture.

It is truly a great picture and now Dave hasdonated all the negatives and other material usedto create the final composite image to the SFTJFArchive. We really want to thank him for thiswonderful contribution. I plan to reproduce thepicture as a centerfold in an upcoming issue of theCricket.Scott Anthony


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“JAZZ” WAS BORN IN SAN FRANCISCO

Daniel Cassidy is the founder and co-directorof the Irish Studies Program at New College of Califor-nia and faculty chair of the Media and Film StudiesProgram. A musician and award winning film maker,Cassidy's has written for the NY Times, San FranciscoChronicle, New York Observer, Atlantic Monthly,Counterpunch magazine and Hot Press in Ireland.Cassidy was born in Brooklyn,and educated at Cornelland Columbia Universities. He lives with his wifeClare in San Francisco.

San FSan FSan FSan FSan Frrrrrancisco “Jazz” – 1ancisco “Jazz” – 1ancisco “Jazz” – 1ancisco “Jazz” – 1ancisco “Jazz” – 1999991111133333In a series of groundbreaking articles

exploring the origin of the word Jazz, writtenbetween 1938 and 1981, the world-class SanFrancisco sanasán (vocabularist, etymologist),researcher, archivist, and folklore collector, PeterTamony, shocked Jazz scholars when he revealedthat the word “Jazz” burst into print for the firsttime in the history of the American language, inthe spring of 1913, in the sports pages of the SanFrancisco Bulletin in the jazzy prose of a natty(néata, neat, dapper) 27 year old San FranciscoIrish-American baseball scribe with the snazzymoniker of “Scoop” Gleeson.

NYU librarian George Thompson found the word“jazz” in an anonymously written sports snippetin The Los Angeles Times, published on April 2,1912, entitled Ben’s Jazz Curve. Curiously, the“jazz” fizzled out in The L.A. Times after this singleappearance. But, less than a year later, the newword “jazz” sizzled into print in San Franciscoforever.

In a series of “Special Dispatches” writtenfrom the San Francisco Seals baseball team’s springtraining camp at Boyes Hot Springs, Sonomacounty, forty miles north of the city, and fromRecreation Park stadium in the heart of the old

by Daniel Cassidy (c) 2005 by Daniel Cassidy

But, less than a yearBut, less than a yearBut, less than a yearBut, less than a yearBut, less than a yearlatlatlatlatlatererererer, t, t, t, t, the nehe nehe nehe nehe new ww ww ww ww worororororddddd“““““jazz” sizzled into print” sizzled into print” sizzled into print” sizzled into print” sizzled into printin San Fin San Fin San Fin San Fin San Frrrrranciscoanciscoanciscoanciscoanciscoforever.forever.forever.forever.forever.

Mission District, sports reporter “Scoop” Gleesonused the new word “Jazz” more than forty timesin March and April, 1913. This hot word “Jazz”soon spread like verbal wildfire to the Bulletinsports headlines, other reporters, feature stories,and even the cartoons.

Gleeson’s first use of the word “Jazz” wason March 3rd, 1913: “McCarl has been heraldedall along the line as a “busher,” but now it alldevelops that this dope is very much to the “jazz.”

What “Scoop” Gleeson was saying here inearly 20th century vernacular was that local base-ball “experts,” fans, and sports writers had put outthe skinny” that the new Seals rookie GeorgeMcCarl was an inexperienced “bush leaguer,” orrural amateur league player. But, all this bad talkand gossip (dope) was nothing but the “Jazz,”meaning a lot of “hot air” and baloney (béal ónna,foolish talk). Young George McCall, “Scoop”wrote, was an “experienced player” with six yearsof professional baseball experience.

Then three days later on March 6th, 1913,under the full page banner headline: “Seals ReturnFrom the Spa to Tackle the Famous White Sox!”

ttttthe whe whe whe whe wororororord “d “d “d “d “Jazz” bur” bur” bur” bur” burssssstttttinto print for the firstinto print for the firstinto print for the firstinto print for the firstinto print for the firsttime in ttime in ttime in ttime in ttime in the hishe hishe hishe hishe histttttororororory of ty of ty of ty of ty of theheheheheAmerican language, inAmerican language, inAmerican language, inAmerican language, inAmerican language, inttttthe sprhe sprhe sprhe sprhe spring of 1ing of 1ing of 1ing of 1ing of 199999111113, in t3, in t3, in t3, in t3, in thehehehehesports pages of the sports pages of the sports pages of the sports pages of the sports pages of the SanSanSanSanSanFFFFFrrrrrancisco Bulleancisco Bulleancisco Bulleancisco Bulleancisco Bulletintintintintin

It is a testament to the strength of PeterTamony’s pre-Cyber Age grassroots scholarshipthat since the 1938 publication of his first article onthe 1913 birth of the word “jazz” in San Fran-cisco, only one earlier published example of “jazz”has been discovered by countless researchers,scouring thousands of published sources with theaid of computers. In 2004, using an historicalnewspaper data base and computer search engine,


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the Bulletin editors gave “Scoop” Gleeson a full frontpage ballyhoo, a four paragraph, two column-widelead, set in boldface type, to define the hot newword “Jazz” to San Francisco baseball fans.

“Come on, there Professor, string up the bigharp and give us all a tune …Everybody has comeback to the old town full of the old ‘jazz’ and theypromise to knock the fans off their feet with theirplaying.

“What is the ‘jazz?’ Why, it’s a little of that‘old life,’ the ‘gin-i-ker,’ the ‘pep,’ otherwise knownas the enthusiasalum. A grain of ‘jazz’ and you feellike going out and eating your way through TwinPeaks. It’s that spirit which makes ordinary playersstep around like Lajoies and (Ty) Cobbs…

“‘Hap’ Hogan gave his men a couple of shotsof ‘near-jazz’ last season and look what happened -- the Tigers became the most ferocious set of tossersin the league. Now the Seals have happened upongreat quantities of it in the quiet valley of Sonomaand they’re setting the countryside on fire.”

What did this hot new word “Jazz” mean to“Scoop” Gleeson in March 1913? The synonyms heused for “Jazz” were “pep,” “enthusiasalum,” the“gin-i-ker,” and “spirit.”

Gin-i-kerTine caor (pronounced jin-i-ker)Raging fire, lightning.

Tine, al. Teine (pron. jin-ih, chin-eh), fire; confla-gration, incandescence; luminosity, flash.

Caor (pron. kayr), a thunderbolt, a meteor, around mass of flame, a glowing object.

Jazz is the phonetic spelling of the Irish andGaelic word Teas, meaning “heat and highesttemperature.”JazzTeas (pron. jass or chass)Heat, warmth, passion, excitement, fervor, ardor,zeal, enthusiasm, anger, and highest temperature.

But hoBut hoBut hoBut hoBut how does an Irw does an Irw does an Irw does an Irw does an Irishishishishishwwwwwororororord spelled d spelled d spelled d spelled d spelled Teas...............become pronouncedbecome pronouncedbecome pronouncedbecome pronouncedbecome pronounced“““““Jass”...”...”...”...”...

“Pep” is “hot” like pepper, from which it isderived, and is defined by Roget’s Thesaurus as “en-ergy,” “spirit,” “fire,” and “vim.” While Scoop’smarvelous invented word “enthusiasalum” showedthat the young “Scoop” Gleeson had linguistic piz-zazz.

But what did the mysterious synonym “gin-i-ker” mean? And how were great quantities of “Jazz”setting the Sonoma countryside on fire?

The answer is Irish.The “Gin-i-ker” is the phonetic spelling of the

Irish word-phrase “Tine Caor” (pron. jin-i-ker) andmeans “raging fire and lightning.” It is the gin-i-ker(tine caor, thunderbolt of fire) that produces the“Jazz” (Teas, pron. jass, heat).

The ancient Irish word Teas (pron. jass, orchass, heat) was reborn in an Irish-American gobas Jazz: the hottest word of the 20th century.

Teas spelled “Jazz” by “Scoop” Gleesonholds within it the divine racket (raic ard) andclamour (glam mór) of the “Jazz” of Irish Ameri-can Vernacular and African American Music.

Jazz is always jazzy (teasaí, pron. “jassy”or “chassy,” hot, exciting, and passionate).

JazzyTeasaí (pron. jassy or chassy), adj.Hot, warm, passionate, exciting, fervent, enthusi-astic, feverish, angry.

But how does an Irish word spelled Teas,which looks like it sounds like the English word“tease” or the plural of the English word “tea”become pronounced “Jass” in an Irish-Americanpuss (pus, a mouth, lips, fig. a face)? The The The The The Jazz (((((Teas, pron. jass, heat) of, pron. jass, heat) of, pron. jass, heat) of, pron. jass, heat) of, pron. jass, heat) ofthe Affricatethe Affricatethe Affricatethe Affricatethe Affricate

“The Rule of Tír” (tír, land, country) statesthat the Irish word Tír can be correctly pro-nounced “jeer, cheer, or tear” in the Irish lan-

And hoAnd hoAnd hoAnd hoAnd how ww ww ww ww wererererere ge ge ge ge grrrrreateateateateatquantities of “quantities of “quantities of “quantities of “quantities of “Jazz”””””setting the Sonomasetting the Sonomasetting the Sonomasetting the Sonomasetting the Sonomacountrcountrcountrcountrcountryyyyyside on fside on fside on fside on fside on fiririririre?e?e?e?e?


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guage. So, too, the Irish word Teas, meaning“heat,” can also be pronounced “jass” in Ulsterand North Mayo, “chass” in Connaught, or“tass” in Munster, the three living dialects of theIrish language.

In Ulster and Connaught Irish, and in thelanguages of Scots-Gaelic and Manx, the wordTeas, meaning “heat,” is pronounced “jass” or“chass” and is called an affricate, which is aspeech sound consisting of a stop and a fricativearticulated at the same point.

The sound of the slender consonant “T” inthe Irish word Teas (pron. “jass” or “chass”),meaning “heat,” is created by blocking the airand then releasing it with friction against thepalate. The sound produced resembles the “J” inthe English word “joy” or the “Ch” in “chair.”

The fricative friction of the affricate pro-

duces the “heat” of Teas (pron. “jass” or “chass,”heat, highest temperature), which is itself a wordthat is in a constant state of “Jazz” both in itsmeaning and in the natural physical law embodiedin its articulation.

Dig it or not (Tuig é nó ná, pron. dig ay nonaa, understand it or not), Jazz (Teas, pron. “jass,”heat) is an Irish word with naturally jazzy (teasaí,pron. “jassy.” hot) onomatopoeia.

The Jazzy W The Jazzy W The Jazzy W The Jazzy W The Jazzy Watatatatatererererers of Bos of Bos of Bos of Bos of Boyyyyyes Hoes Hoes Hoes Hoes HotttttSprings, CaliforniaSprings, CaliforniaSprings, CaliforniaSprings, CaliforniaSprings, California

On March 8th, 1913, “Scoop” Gleeson wrotethat the San Francisco Seals baseball team kept theirJazz in a can. . “Spence the catcher zipped the oldpill around the infield. He opened a can of ‘jazz’ atthe tap of the gong. Henley the pitcher put a littlemore of the old ‘jazz’ on the pill.”

Figure 1 Cartoon from S. F. Bulletin, April 13, 1913


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On March 14th, “Scoop” told his readersprecisely where to find the Jazz . It was in the jazzy(teasaí, hot) waters of Boyes Hot Springs where, hewrote: “there’s “jazz” in the morning dew, “jazz”in the daily bath, and “jazz” in the natural springwater…”

It was the Jazz of the gin-i-ker at the earth’score that caused the jazzy spring water of BoyesHot Springs to bubble up and effervesce with 135degrees Fahrenheit of natural Jazz.

On a website, almost ninety years later, theMission Springs Hotel in Boyes Hot Springs, Califor-nia, in Sonoma’s Valley of the Moon, is still extollingthe heat and healing properties of the naturalspring water on its website: "Paradise found -where Mother Nature has generously combinedhealth enhancing water and minerals heated to 135degrees of perfection, 1,100 feet within the Earth'score.”

It is the earth’s water in a sizzle that is thehydrothermal womb where the “old jazz” became“life.”

By March 29th, 1913, the San FranciscoSeals were a lifeless fizzle though Scoop’s snazzyprose still had pizzazz. “Scoop” Gleeson used thehot new San Francisco word Jazz more than tentimes in this single story.

Under the headline: “Now the Local Players

Have Lost the “Jazz” and Don’t Know Where toFind It, “Scoop” lamented: “The poor old Sealshave lost their ‘jazz’ and don’t know where tofind it. It’s a fact, gentle reader, that the ‘jazz,’ thepepper, the old life, has either been lost or stolen,and that the San Francisco club of today is madeup of ‘jazzless’ Seals.

“There is a chance that the old ‘jazz’ wassent by parcel post, which may account for itsfailure to arrive yesterday…“The Seals pitcher,“Cac” Henley will need a gallon of ‘jazz’… Fromthe way the White Sox stacked up, one mighthave suspected that they were inoculated with the‘jazz’ during their stay in the Valley of theMoon…Suffice it to say that the Seals were with-out the ‘jazz’ and they played in last season’sfaulty style. .... Manager Del had better send forthe ‘jazz’ wagon -- Quick! Quick! Bring on the old‘jazz!’”

Then on April 10th, 1913, the word“Jazz” brought its Irish American verbal heat andexcitement to the comics for the first time inhistory. In a five-column wide Bulletin sports pagecartoon headlined: “Justin Fitzgerald, the SantaClara Lightning Bolt,” the speedy Fitzgerald wasdrawn by the cartoonist Breton as the personifica-tion of the “gin-i-ker” with the head of a manand a lightning bolt for a body.

In the cartoon the hapless Seals’ infielderslurch and stumble on the field of Recreation Parkstadium, while the young slugger (slacaire,batter) Fitzgerald zaps around the bases like a“blue streak.” In the cartoon’s foreground, a fanin a slouch hat cracks to three cronies (comh-róghna, pron cuh-roney, mutual-favorites, fellowpals.) in the stands: “He’s full of the ‘old jazz.’”

In the background of the cartoon, beyondthe left field fence of Recreation Park at 15th andValencia, in the Mission District’s old “Irishtown”neighborhood, Breton has sketched in the steepleof Mission Dolores Cathedral and the hills of SanFrancisco’s Twin Peaks.

In the hot spring of 1913, on the eve of aGreat World War, there were thousands of nativeIrish-speakers and their first-generation Irish-American children living in the breac-Ghaeltachta parishes and neighborhoods sur-rounding the old Seals’ stadium. Their old Mis-sion District spiel (speal, cutting satiric speech)was peppered with the phonetic Jazz of the Irishlanguage.

Figure 2 Cartoon from S. F. Bulletin accompanyingApril 5, 1913 Ernest Hopkins article


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In 1920, the U.S. Federal Census recordedhundreds of breac-Ghaeltachta, containingthousands of Irish speakers in American cities asgeographically diverse as San Francisco, Boston,New York City, Springfield, Illinois, Butte, Mon-tana, and Portland, Maine.

By mid-April 1913, the word Jazz hadbecome so hot in San Francisco that Bulletincolumnist Ernest Hopkins devoted an entirefeature story to this local verbal phenomenon.Hopkins’ jazzy column was a lulu, illustratedwith a cartoon of a hi’falutin’ dude in a swellthree-piece suit, presumably Hopkins himself,precariously balancing the letters J-A-Z-Z on thetip of his middle-class snoot (snua ard, loftyvisage.) (Text of article by Ernest Hopkins followsbeginning on next column. ed)

In PrIn PrIn PrIn PrIn Praise of “Jazz” A Faise of “Jazz” A Faise of “Jazz” A Faise of “Jazz” A Faise of “Jazz” A Futuruturuturuturuturisisisisist Wt Wt Wt Wt WororororordddddWhich Has Just Joined the LanguageWhich Has Just Joined the LanguageWhich Has Just Joined the LanguageWhich Has Just Joined the LanguageWhich Has Just Joined the Languageby Ernest Hopkins, April 5, 1913, S.F. Bulletin

This column is entitled “What’s Not in theNews” but occasionally a few things that are in thenews leak in. We have been trying for some time to keepthese things out, but hereby acknowledge ourselvespowerless and surrender.

This thing is a word. It has recently becomecurrent in the Bulletin office through some means whichwe cannot discover but would stop up if we could. Thereshould be every precaution taken to avoid the possibilityof any more such words leaking in to disturb ourvocabulary.

This word is “JAZ.” It is also spelt “Jazz,”and as they both sound the same and mean the same,there is no way of settling the controversy. The officestaff is divided into two sharp factions, one of which

Figure 3 Cartoon from S. F. Bulletin, July 7, 1913


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upholds the single z and the other the double z. To keepthem from coming to blows much Christianity is re-quired.

“JAZZ” (We change the spelling each time so asnot to offend either faction) can be defined, but it cannotbe synonymized. If there were another word that exactlyexpressed the meaning of “jaz,” “Jazz” would neverhave been born. A new word like a new muscle onlycomes into being when it has been long needed.

This remarkable and satisfactory-sounding

sonnet; it is a universal word, and must appear well inall society.

That is why “pep,” which tried to mean thesame but never could, failed; it was a rough-neck fromthe first, and could not wear evening clothes. “Jazz” isat home in bar or ballroom; it is a true American.“(Ernest Hopkins, S.F. Bulletin, April 19, 1913)

Less than a week later, on April 25th,“Scoop” spelled out the Irish definition of theAmerican word Jazz for his San Francisco read-ers: “H.E.A.T. is a staple product of Los Angelesand Manager Dillon must have had some of itexpressed to Oakland for use in the third game.However, the Seals invoked the aid of “jazz”which keeps equally in hot or cold weather andwere thus able to win out on a 3 to 2 score.”

By May 1st “Scoop” Gleeson was writingpoems to the elusive “jazz.”

The old Wolf sat in the clubhouse door,Hoping that his team might score.The game rolled on, but he WOULD not go,Because he loved those umpires so.(Help! The old “jazz” is out again!). .

By the end of May 1913 the Seals were 9-13 and totally out of “jazz” -- in last place. On

June 5th, “Scoop” Gleeson blamed the loss of theold Jazz on the old Irish hoodoo: “Too long havethe Oaks proved to be the hoodoo…for the Seals.”

Then on July 7th in another large Bretoncartoon on the front page of the sports section, adistraught father rushes about (fig. 3, previouspage), frantically searching for a bottle of “Jazz”water to revive his sick baby (the S.F. Seals.) But,in store after store, he is unable to find the life-giving “Jazz” to save his kid (cuid, a chuid, aterm of affection, mo chuid, my darling)

The sheer musicalThe sheer musicalThe sheer musicalThe sheer musicalThe sheer musicalqqqqquality of tuality of tuality of tuality of tuality of the whe whe whe whe wororororord, td, td, td, td, thathathathathatdelightful sound like thedelightful sound like thedelightful sound like thedelightful sound like thedelightful sound like thecrcrcrcrcracacacacackling of an electrkling of an electrkling of an electrkling of an electrkling of an electricicicicicspark, commends it.spark, commends it.spark, commends it.spark, commends it.spark, commends it.

word, however, means something like life, vigor, en-ergy, effervescence of spirit, joy, pep, magnetism, verve,virility, ebulliency, courage, happiness, – oh, what’s theuse? – JAZZ.

Nothing else can express it.You can go on flinging the new word all over

the world, like a boy with a new jack-knife. It is “jazz”when you run for your train; “jaz” when you soak anumpire; “Jazz” when you demand a raise; “jaz” whenyou hike thirty-five miles of a Sunday; “Jazz” when yousimply sit around and beam so that all who look beamon you. Anything that takes manliness or effort orenergy or activity or strength of soul is “jaz.”

We would not have you apprehend that this newword is slang. It is merely futurist language, which aseverybody knows is more than mere cartooning.

“Jazz” is a nice word, a classic word, easy onthe tongue and pleasant to the ears, profoundly expres-sive of the idea it conveys - as when you say a home-runhitter is “full of the old jaz.” (Credit Scoop.) There isand always has been an art of genial strength; to this artwe now give the splendid title of “jazz.”

The sheer musical quality of the word, thatdelightful sound like the crackling of an electric spark,commends it. It belongs to the class of onomatopoeia. Itwas important that this vacancy in our language shouldhave been filled with a word of proper sound, because“jaz” is a quality often celebrated in epic poetry, inprizefight stories, in the tale of action or the meditative

The Jazz of Ireland andThe Jazz of Ireland andThe Jazz of Ireland andThe Jazz of Ireland andThe Jazz of Ireland andSan FSan FSan FSan FSan Frrrrrancisco wancisco wancisco wancisco wancisco was onas onas onas onas onits wits wits wits wits waaaaay ty ty ty ty to becoming to becoming to becoming to becoming to becoming thehehehehehohohohohottttttttttesesesesest net net net net new ww ww ww ww wororororord ofd ofd ofd ofd ofttttthe 20the 20the 20the 20the 20th centurh centurh centurh centurh centuryyyyy.....


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By July 24th, the Seals were truly sick kidsand had lost 15 of the last 16 games. In August,they were in the cellar of the Pacific Coast Leaguewithout a drop of “Jazz.”. At the end of the 1913baseball season, the San Francisco Seals hadfinished 5th out of 6 teams.

But that “futurist” San Francisco IrishAmerican Vernacular word “Jazz” was juststarting to sizzle into the consciousness and printof American speech and culture.

In early June, 1913, the San Francisco“Jazz” had already whizzed east into Indiana. Ina feature story entitled “Best Sellers in CitySlang,” the Fort Wayne Sentinel reported that the“old jazz” was the “newest slang term in SanFrancisco.”

By the Fall of 1913, Jazz jumped like anelectric spark from the baseball diamond to theboxing ring. In The Oakland Tribune on October4th, the slugger (slacaire) in the story wasn’t a

By JulBy JulBy JulBy JulBy July 2y 2y 2y 2y 24t4t4t4t4th, th, th, th, th, the Sealshe Sealshe Sealshe Sealshe Sealswwwwwererererere tre tre tre tre trulululululy sicy sicy sicy sicy sick k k k k kids andandandandandhad loshad loshad loshad loshad lost 1t 1t 1t 1t 15 of t5 of t5 of t5 of t5 of the lashe lashe lashe lashe lasttttt111116 g6 g6 g6 g6 games. In Aames. In Aames. In Aames. In Aames. In Augusugusugusugusugust,t,t,t,t,they were in the cellarthey were in the cellarthey were in the cellarthey were in the cellarthey were in the cellarof tof tof tof tof the Phe Phe Phe Phe Pacifacifacifacifacific Coasic Coasic Coasic Coasic CoastttttLeague without a dropLeague without a dropLeague without a dropLeague without a dropLeague without a dropof “of “of “of “of “Jazz.....”.”.”.”.”.

Seal hitting a baseball with a smack (smeach,pron. smack, a whack) and a wallop (bhuailleadhb, pron. whual lob, a mighty blow), but twopalookas dukin’ (tuargain, hammering, slugging)it out in the ring: “The Sailor was off his feet lastnight, although Clabby handed him shots of the old½-jazz which made the ex-sailor’s knees sag.”

The Jazz of Ireland and San Francisco wason its way to becoming the hottest new word ofthe 20th century.

African-American Musicians’Hatred for the Word “Jazz”The words “Jass” or “Jazz” were not used by any ofthe foundational African-American New Orleansmusicians -- from Buddy Bolden and Bunk Johnson, toJoe “King” Oliver, Sidney Bechet, and Louis Armstrong-- prior to the release of the first “Jass” record in history:Dixieland Jass One Step and Livery Stable Blues, inNew York City, in March 1917.

Louis Armstrong wrote in 1944: “...We playedall sorts of arrangements… T’wasn’t called ‘Jazz’ backthere in those days… They played a whole lot ofRagtime music. We called it Dixie – Jazz, in the lateryears.”

The influential New Orleans Creole reedmanSidney Bechet, who was a native speaker of FrenchCreole Vernacular, called the music “ragtime” all hislife. In his autobiography, “Treat It Gentle,” Bechet setthe tone for succeeding generations of African Ameri-can musicians, who have expressed contempt and evenhatred for the name “Jazz” for their music:

Bechet wrote: “But let me tell you one thing:Jazz, that’s a name the white people have given to themusic. There’s two kinds of music. There’s classic andthere’s ragtime. When I tell you ragtime, you can feel it,there’s a spirit right in the word...But Jazz – Jazz couldmean any damn’ thing: high times, screwing, ballroom.It used to be spelled Jass...”

Duke Ellington said naming African-Americanmusic “Jazz” was equivalent to calling it a “four letterword.” At a meeting of the California Arts Commis-sion... when one of the Commission members said thatthe word Jazz came from New Orleans, Duke Ellingtonsaid: “They didn’t learn it there…” Ellington lateradded, “By and large, jazz always has been like thekind of man you wouldn't want your daughter toassociate with. The word ‘jazz’ has been part of theproblem....”

In 2003, Pianist and composer Billy Taylorconfirmed that the negative attitude of African Ameri-can musicians towards the word “Jazz” hasn’tchanged since Sidney Bechet’s day. He spoke to BenWattenberg on the PBS program Think Tank.

Ben Wattenberg. “Is it true that Ellington neversaid that he played Jazz; that’s not a word he used?”

Billy Taylor: “He hated the term, as many jazzmusicians do. We’re saddled with it. But the music wasalways called something by someone that had nothingto do with the music itself. So the (term) ragtime camefrom other sources. The term Dixieland, swing, almostall of the categories that jazz is divided or subdividedinto were named by people who didn’t have nothing todo with the music. And all of the musicians hated theterm because they felt that the terms were too confin-ing... So the terms, we’re saddled with them.

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About the San Francisco Traditional Jazz FoundationWhat is the Foundation?

Created in 1981 as an archive of several thousand items relating to the jazz revival begun in San Francisco about 1939,the Foundation now seeks to enhance that collection and extend its uses. A wider aim is to help foster live, high qualitytraditional jazz, regionally and worldwide.What does the Foundation do?

Current activities include archival preservation, supporting live events and broadcasts, collaborating with other jazzand educational institutions, and developing new products and media applications.

Although the Foundation lacks the funding to open its archive to the general public, other means are being found tomake its resources available. For example, historic recordings and documents are being made available to radio stations;and consumer products such as posters, books and tapes are being publicly offered.Who is involved?

You are. Membership is $25 per year. Benefits include this quarterly newsletter, invitations to special events andavailability of Foundation products (often at exceptionally low prices).

Donations welcomedThe San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation accepts gifts and grants in many forms, including historical items

which shed further light on the history of traditional jazz on the West Coast, such as recordings, music, newspaperclippings, photographs and correspondence. Contributions of materials or funds are tax-deductible under IRS rulingstatus 501(c)(3).SF Jazz on the Web

The San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation has an ever-expanding web site. The site includes sound files andphotos of many San Francisco (and other) jazz figures from the 1930s to the present. Please visit us at www.sftradjazz.org.

Join (or rejoin) the San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation today to begin taking advantage of reservations tospecial events, discounts on selected jazz books and recordings, and a year’s subscription to The Frisco Cricket. If you arealready a member, give the gift of Foundation membership to a friend! Use the form at right.

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PrPrPrPrProduct Oroduct Oroduct Oroduct Oroduct Order Fder Fder Fder Fder Forororororm & 2006 Memberm & 2006 Memberm & 2006 Memberm & 2006 Memberm & 2006 Membership/Rship/Rship/Rship/Rship/Reneeneeneeneenewwwwwal Applicational Applicational Applicational Applicational ApplicationName __________________________________________________________________________Address ________________________________________________________________________E-mail _______________________________ Phone ( ) ____________________________

Compact Discs ($13 for members, $16 for non-members) Quantity AmountA Musical Tribute to Lu Watters—The Bay City Stompers ............................................ (BCD-280) _____ $ _______Firehouse 5 Plus 2 Live at Earthquake McGoon’s 1970 ....................................... (BCD-450) _____ $ _______William Warfield—Something Within Me ..................................................... (DELMARK DE-772) ___ $ ______Bob Mielke and his Bearcats ......................................................................................................... (SFCD-3) ___ $ ______The Legendary Russ Gilman ................................................................................ (SFTJF CD-109) ___ $ ______Clancy Hayes—Satchel of Song .................................................................................... (SFTJF CD-108) ___ $ ______Turk Murphy Jazz Band—Wild Man Blues .......................................................... (SFTJF CD-107) ___ $ ______Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band, Vol 2, 1946–1947 ................................... (SFTJF CD-106) ___ $ ______Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band, Vol 1, 1937–1943 ................................... (SFTJF CD-105) ___ $ ______Turk Murphy Jazz Band—Euphonic Sounds ......................................................... (SFTJF CD-104) ___ $ ______Turk Murphy Jazz Band—Weary Blues ................................................................ (SFTJF CD-103) ___ $ ______Turk Murphy Jazz Band—In Hollywood ............................................................... (SFTJF CD-102) ___ $ ______Turk Murphy Jazz Band—Live at Carson Hot Springs ......................................... (SFTJF CD-101) ___ $ ______Turk Murphy Jazz Band—At The Italian Village, with Claire Austin ................. (MMRC CD-11) ___ $ ______Lu Watters Yerba Buena Jazz Band—At Hambone Kelly’s, 1949–1950 ........ (MMRC CD-10) ___ $ ______Bob Helm with the El Dorado Jazz Band—1955* ........................................... (SFTJF CD-110) ___ $ ______*Specially priced two-CD set. Members: $16; non-members: $20.

Books Members Non-mem.Jazz on the Barbary Coast, by Tom Stoddard $4 $5 ___ $ ______Pioneer jazzmen reminisce about old San Francisco and its role as a wellspring of jazzJazz West 2, by K.O. Ecklund, published by Donna Ewald $12 $15 ___ $ ______The A-to-Z guide to west coast jazz music; a unique source.Preservation Hall, by William Carter $35 $50 ___ $ ______Lavish 315 pp. Softbound. Drew national rave reviews. Autographed on request.The Great Jazz Revival, by Pete Clute & Jim Goggin $10 $15 ___ $ ______The story of the San Francisco jazz revivalMeet Me At McGoon’s, by Pete Clute & Jim Goggin $25 $33 ___ $ ______Another Jazz Scrapbook by the authors of The Great Jazz Revival

Subtotal $ ______California residents add 8.5% sales tax $ ______

Shipping: $2.00 per item $ ______If outside U.S., Canada and Mexico: add $5. $ ______

New or Renew SFTJF membership, add $25. $ ______Donation* $ ______

Total $ ______

Credit Card MasterCard Visa American ExpressName (as appears on card) _______________________________________________________________Account Number (16 digits) ___________________________________ Expiration Date (mo/yr) ________Cardholder Signature ____________________________________________________________________

Complete the credit card information below,or enclose check or money order for Total.Send to:San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation41 Sutter Street, PMB 1870San Francisco, CA 94104

contributions to SFTJF, above the basic membership level, are tax deductible

The Frisco CricketSAN FRANCISCO TRADITIONAL JAZZ FOUNDATION41 Sutter Street, PMB 1870San Francisco, California 94104www.sftradjazz.org

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE PAID

SAN FRANCISCO,CAPERMIT NO. 3981

Return Service Requested

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Now is a great time to plan to attend theSecond (Annual?) Turk Murphy Tribute Concert

atBimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco!

Sunday afternoon, October 22, 2006

More details, including time and prices in thenext Cricket

mouldy past: shiny future? - sftradjazz.org · mouldy past: shiny future by william carter 1 from...

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