DC Jazz

Maurice Jackson teaches African American history at Georgetown University and is the author of Rhythms of Resistance and Resilience: How Black Washingtonians Used Music and Sports in the Fight for Equality. He was the inaugural chair of the Washington, DC, Commission on African American Affairs, appointed by the mayor. Blair Ruble was a distinguished fellow for programs at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the author of The Muse of Urban Delirium: How the Performing Arts Paradoxically Transform Conflict-Ridden Cities into Centers of Cultural Innovation and Washington's U Street: A Biography.

List of Illustrations Foreword by Jason Moran Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Jazz, "Great Black Music," and the Struggle for Equality in Washington, DC Maurice Jackson 2. Seventh Street: Black DC's Musical Mecca Blair A. Ruble 3. Washington's Duke Ellington John Edward Hasse 4. Bill Brower: Notes from a Key Observer and Scene Maker Interview by Willard Jenkins 5. Jazz Radio in Washington, DC Rusty Hassan 6. Legislating Jazz Anna Harwell Celenza 7. The Beautiful Struggle: A Look at Women Who Have Helped Bridget Arnwine 8. No Church without a Choir: Howard University and Jazz in Washington, DC Lauren Sinclair 9. From Federal City College to UDC: A Retrospective on Washington's Jazz University Judith A. Korey 10. Researching Jazz History in Washington, DC Michael Fitzgerald List of Contributors Index

A treasure trove of history, deeply researched and often tightly annotated. * The Georgetowner * [The authors] give the reader an excellent survey of the extent of jazz activity and its impact on the national and international scenes. . . . It's a wonderful overview of a city known for many things, but whose imprint on jazz hasn't gotten anywhere near the attention it deserves until the publication of this outstanding book. * The Tennessee Jazz & Blues Society * The book tells us much about the city beyond geography. It's as 'Official Washington' a book about jazz as one could imagine: wonky, think-tanky, visiting-scholar-y. It's jazz as White Paper. . . . If this sounds like a criticism, rest assured that it is not. The book is precisely what it aspires to be, and a success on its own terms is a success, period. Besides, who's to complain that historians and history nerds want to give more attention to jazz? . . . It is ultimately a cornerstone: an essential reference for more narrative, perhaps lively histories. * Washington City Paper * The book is as digestible as it is illuminating. . . . As DC Jazz functions as an essential scholarly anchor, it succeeds at illustrating the resilience of the city's jazz landscape amid sometimes challenging social climate. * DownBeat * Takes readers on a relaxing stroll through D.C., visiting venues that first featured jazz musicians to welcoming audiences: The Crystal Caverns, later renamed the Bohemian Caverns, One Step Down and Blues Alley would become legendary hotspots within their own rights. Some artists would go on to perform at much larger, prestigious venues in the District like the Kennedy Center, whose jazz program, currently under the direction of musician/composer Jason Moran, owes its roots to pianist and composer Dr. Billy Taylor. * The Washington Informer *