Pioneers of Jazz: The Story of the Creole Band - Paperback

Name: Pioneers of Jazz: The Story of the Creole Band - Paperback
Brand: BooksCloud
SKU: 9780199732333
Price: 85.64 USD
Availability: InStock

Pioneers of Jazz: The Story of the Creole Band - Paperback

$85.64 USD

Report copyright infringement

by Lawrence Gushee (Author)

Thanks to the pioneering tours of the Creole Band, jazz began to be heard nationwide on the vaudeville stages of America from 1914 to 1918. This seven-piece band toured the country, exporting for the first time the authentic jazz strains that had developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The band's vaudeville routines were deeply rooted in the minstrel shows and plantation cliches of American show business in the late 19th century, but its instrumental music was central to its performance and distinctive and entrancing to audiences and reviewers.
Pioneers of Jazz reveals at long last the link between New Orleans music and the jazz phenomenon that swept America in the 1920s. While they were the first important band from New Orleans to attain national exposure, The Creole Band has not heretofore been recognized for its unique importance. But in his monumental, careful research, jazz scholar Lawrence Gushee firmly establishes the group's central role in jazz history.

Gushee traces the troupe's activities and quotes the reaction of critics and audiences to their first encounters with this new musical phenomenon. While audiences, who often expected (and got) a kind of minstrel show, the group transcended expectations, taking pride in their music and facing down the theatrical establishment with courage. Although they played the West Coast and Canada, most of their touring centered in the heartland. Most towns of any size in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana heard them, often repeatedly, and virtually all of their appearances were received with wild enthusiasm. After four years of nearly incessant traveling, members of the band founded or joined groups in Chicago South Side cabaret scene, igniting the craze for hot New Orleans music for which the Windy City was renowned in the early 1920s. The best-known musicians in the group--cornetist Freddie Keppard, clarinetist Jimmy Noone and string bassist Bill Johnson--would play a significant role in jazz, becoming famous for recordings in the 1920s. Gushee effectively brings to life each member of the band and discusses their individual contributions, while analyzing the music with precision, skillful and exacting documentation. Including many never before published photos and interviews, the book also provides an invaluable and colorful look at show business, especially vaudeville, in the 1910s.

While some of the first jazz historians were aware of the band's importance, attempts to locate and interview surviving members (three died before 1935) were sporadic and did little or nothing to correct the mostly erroneous accounts of the band's career. The jazz world has long known about Gushee's original work on this previously neglected subject, and the book represents an important event in jazz scholarship. Pioneers of Jazz brilliantly places this group's unique importance into a broad cultural and historical context, and provides the crucial link between jazz's origins in New Orleans and the beginning of its dissemination across the country.

Author Biography

Lawrence Gushee is Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has devoted himself to research on music in the Middle Ages, as well as jazz and related musics. A clarinetist, he performs ragtime and jazz of the period 1900-1920.

Number of Pages: 400

Dimensions: 0.9 x 9.22 x 6.58 IN

Illustrated: Yes

Publication Date: April 29, 2010

Product variants

In stock, ready to ship

Pairs well with

In Stock — Ships within 1–3 business days.

Free U.S. Shipping on Orders $75+ — No Code Needed.

Gift Cards are Final Sale — Non-Returnable & Non-Refundable.

Pioneers of Jazz: The Story of the Creole Band - Paperback

$85.64 USD

Grab It. Gift It. Live It.

Spread the Merch Love

Rep the culture. Back the rebels. Wear it loud. This ain’t just merch — it’s a middle finger to the mainstream. Every drop fuels the overlooked. Own it. Rock it. Loud.

View the Collection

Shop Big. Ship Free. Feel the Overlooked Flow.

Arriving Soon: A Record Store You Won't Want to Miss!

We’re spinning something special behind the scenes — a digital crate-digger’s paradise built for true music lovers. As we fine-tune our catalog and organize every groove, rest assured: when we launch, it’ll be more than a store. It’ll be a destination. Curated, independent, and rooted in the culture — just the way you like it. Stay tuned.

FAQs

Please read our FAQs page to find out more.

What’s your shipping policy?

Orders on the Urban Overlooked online store are processed within 1–3 business days, with standard U.S. shipping handled by trusted carriers like USPS, UPS, or FedEx, typically arriving within 7–15 business days and accompanied by tracking details. For international orders, shipping times and carriers vary by destination and customs, but reliable global partners are used to ensure secure delivery, with customers advised to allow for possible delays due to customs or local conditions.

What’s your return policy?

Urban Overlooked accepts refund requests for defective, damaged, or misdescribed items within 7 days of delivery by contacting sales@genremediagroup.com with order details and photos. Customers are responsible for return shipping unless the error is ours, and approved refunds are processed to the original payment method within 7 business days. To read the full policy, click here.

📦 Returns & Refund Guidelines — Collectibles & Sensitive Items

Because many items we carry — including comic books, graded
collectibles, and other sensitive products — are limited or condition-based, returns
are accepted within 3 days of delivery only. After this window, refunds or
exchanges may no longer be available.

To qualify for a return, items must remain unused,
unopened, and in the same condition as when received, with original
packaging intact. A receipt or proof of purchase is required for all return
requests.

Certain products are final sale and cannot be
returned, including gift cards and select collectible items. Partial refunds
may be issued if an item is returned damaged, incomplete, or outside the
approved timeframe (unless the issue was due to our error).

Once a return is received and inspected, you’ll be notified
by email regarding approval. If approved, refunds are issued to the original
payment method within approximately 15 days.

How do you protect my personal information?

Urban Overlooked collects personal information such as contact, order, and account details directly from you, through your use of our services, and from trusted third parties like Shopify and payment processors. We use this information to provide and improve services, process orders, prevent fraud, and deliver marketing, while safeguarding your privacy through security measures, limited disclosures, cookie controls, and compliance with applicable data rights and laws. You can read our full Privacy Policy for more details right here.

What should I know before using your site?

By using our website or placing an order, you agree to our Terms of Service. This includes guidelines on payments, product use, and account conduct. It's designed to keep everything smooth and secure for both of us. You can view the full terms anytime on our Terms of Service page.