WhatItMeansThatWeAre

LindyHoppingAgain

Yes,theyoungergenerationlovesthatold
timejazz,butwhy?
maincontentheader

ByPeterGerler|HUMANITIES,November/December2015|Volume36,
Number6
+ Click on image to enlarge.

Tuba Skinny playing at the Spotted Cat on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans.Denis Martin

Onesummernightin1914,abandofNewOrleansmusicianson
cornet,trombone,clarinet,violin,guitar,andstandupbass
showedup,farfromhome,atDoylesboxingringinLos
Angelesforawellattendedlightweightfight.WoodrowWilson
waspresident,HenryFordhadrecentlyunveiledthefirstmass
productionassemblyline,andtwoweeksearlierWorldWarI
hadbrokenoutinEurope.
BetweenboutsatDoyles,thecornetistgotuponabenchand
startedblowing.Immediately,thecrowdstoodupasoneman
andshoutedforustogetinthering,andscreamedand
screamed,recalledGeorgeBaquet,theirclarinetman.
Baquetwasaformallytrainedmusician,whonearlyadecade
earlieronNewOrleanssSouthRampartStreethadhada
conversionexperiencewhenheheardthelegendaryFirstMan
ofJazz,BuddyBolden,playthecornet.Afterthat,Ididntplay
legitimatesomuch,Baquetrecalled.
Heandhisbuddies,billingthemselvesastheCreoleOrchestra
fromNewOrleans,hadwanderedslowlyintoL.A.andpulled
whatgigstheycould.ALosAngelesRecordreporterdescribed
oneoftheirshows:Inacornerofthecafastrangeorchestra
wasproducing...arhythmsoenticingthatthetemptationto
dancewasalmostoverwhelming.

AtalentbookerheardtherhythmatDoylesandaskedtheguys
toformanact,hedidnotcarewhat,solongashehadthat
music.Soontheywereblowingtheuncannysoundsof
inchoateNewOrleansjazzonvaudevillestagesaroundthe
country.
Notlongafter,Einsteinpublishedhisfieldequations,linking
planetarypullwithspacetime.Thecomingofswingrhythm
aroundthistimeseemsmorethancoincidental.Nowmusicwas
releasedfromgravity.
Acenturylater,theNewOrleansparadebeathas,likegrass,
brokenthroughsidewalksofcitiesacrosstheglobe.Inthe
streets,dancehalls,andlatenightvenuesofNewOrleans,New
York,Philadelphia,Austin,Sacramento,Denver,Chicago,
Washington,D.C.,Vancouver,London,Paris,Edinburgh,
Stockholm,andTokyo,themusichasreincarnatedintheyoung
bodiesandsoulsoftodaysmillennialgenerationmusicians
andhoofersalike.
Noticesfromthelasttwoyearsshowthatthistrend,first
observedmorethanadecadeago,hasswollentomassive
proportions.TheGuardianreportedthatwiththe
recentresurgenceofswingmusic...dancefloorsalloverthe
countryseemtobefillingwithnewLindyHoppers.InVanity
Fair,theNewYorkjazzjournalistWillFriedwaldwrote,Ifind
thatIcangohearatwentiesstyleband,almostinevitablymade
upofmusiciansbornwellafter1980,playingsomewhereinthe
cityvirtuallyeverynightoftheweek.Offbeathasobservedthat
inNewOrleans,moretraditionalbandsmayplayregularly
todaythanatanyprevioustimeinjazzhistory,andaudiences
haveswelledintocrowdsofenthusiasticyoungpeoplewho

turnoutindrovesfromallovertheworld.
Whatsgoingon?Whyaretwentyandthirtysomethings
suddenlyplayinganddancingtomusicolderthantheir
grandparents?
OnaFridaynightatBostonSwingCentral,hidingamong
industrialbackstreets,IwatchedtwohundredLindyHoppers
rocksteppingandswingingout,smilesplasteredontheirfaces,
theCrescentCitypolyphonyoftheBabySodajazzbanddriving
themon.Ayoungdancertoldme,Itsareligiousexperience,I
amsointhemoment.BabySodacoleaderPeterFordsummed
itup:Youvegotthese25yearoldsthrowingeachother
aroundtheroomwithrecklessabandonandswing.
BabySodaswebsitedescribesthebandasontheforefrontofa
newmovementlooselyknownasstreetjazz.Butthe
movementneverwentawayjustintoslumber.Acentury
ago,raggedmusicplayedoutonNewOrleansstreetsamid
marchingbrassbands,dancehallturkeytrots,streetcorner
honkers,andhorsepulledbandwagons.ForAfricanAmericans,
itwasaboutconfidenceandkinshipstandingashumansunder
thesun.
Now,onthehundredyearmarker,Ifindmyselfthinkingthat
themillennialswhoareplayinganddancingtoswingrhythmare
experiencingthosesame,oddlyjoinedfeelingsoffreedomand
connectedness.Talktothemandyouhearonewordcomingup
againandagain:community.
April2014,FrenchQuarterFestivalinNewOrleans.Theband
wasTubaSkinny,eightragtagkidsintheirlatetwentiesand
earlythirtiesplayingjazzandjugbandmusictightasaclock
andfuelingafloorfullofLindyHoppersintoajumpinggroove.

AdancernamedLessaid,Whenpeoplearedancing,everyone
smiles.Youcanseethejoyintheirfaces.Listenersthronged
bythehundreds.
ThebandhasrootsgoingbacktoNewYorkin2006,justafter
HurricaneKatrina,whena28yearoldUniversityofMichigan
musicschoolgradnamedBenPolcermetabrayingclarinetist
namedMichaelMagro.HeplayedthesamekindofmusicI
heardgrowingup,notedPolcerinJimFlynnsbookSidewalk
Saints.Butitwasgrittier,andatthesametimeitalsohadthis
kindofsanctifiedfeel,likechurchmusic.Iwaslike,damn,I
wannadothat.
BillingthemselvesastheLooseMarbles,PolcerandMagro
movedtoNewOrleansandbeganplayingaroundtheFrench
Quarter.TheressomethingaboutNewOrleanswhereIjustget
socaughtupinthemoment,PolcerremarkedinSaints.This
computes:Jazzplayersalwayslookforthatmoment,the
pocket,thegroove.
PolceroncetoldaNewYorkerwriter,Ilikerocknroll.We
alllikerocknroll.Butjazzisspecial.Toplayitwell,you
reallyhavetolistentoeachother.Contrastthatwith,say,the
RollingStones,whohavesaidthatonstagetheycanthearone
another.
Swingrhythmthejazzheartbeatcomesfromtheearlyblack
SanctifiedandBaptistchurches.Inthefabledplantationring
shouts,intheirbrusharbors,blackfolkcouldforgothewhite
manslitanyandfindcommunity,sharingtheloneliness,
howlinginfreedomtotheheavens.Oneoldslavepreacher
recalledaGeorgiacampmeeting:Thereisajoyontheinside
anditwellsupsostrongthatwecantkeepstill.Itisfireinthe

bones.Anytimethatfiretouchesaman,hewilljump.
TherhythmlikelygoesbacktoAfricanworksong,anexample
ofcoordinatedgroupaction.FolkloristRogerD.Abrahams
wrotethatplantationcornshuckingsongsexpressedintense
feelingsastheywereexperiencedbythewholegroupmoving
togetherincommonpurpose.
InNewOrleans,thatsenseofcommonpurposeshowsupinthe
secondlinebrassbandfuneralparades,wherewhole
neighborhoodssidestepandgyratealongsidethefirstlineof
marchingmusicians.WritinginJazzTimes,GeraldineWyckoff
remarked,Whenabrassbandreallystartskickinginandthe
clubmembersandsecondlinersgetdownwiththegroove,
dancingforalltheyreworth...,onecanbecomelostintime
andspace,sweptupintherhythmsandjoyfulness.
PolcerandMagrobeganpullinginallmannerofmusicians,
somewithtraining,somewithjustpassion.Oneofthemwas32
yearoldShayeCohn,granddaughteroftherenownedtenor
saxophonistAlCohnandcurrentleaderofTubaSkinny.
GrowingupinBrookline,Massachusetts,Cohnpracticed
classicalpianofor12years,winningawards.Shestudiedmusic
atNewYorkUniversity.Buttiringofthatlonely,stressful
lifestyle,shewalkedaway.IdidntthinkIdbeplayingany
otherinstrumentseveragain,shetoldme.
ShedrifteddowntoNewOrleans,wheresheconnectedwitha
fiddlerwhoplayedklezmerandoldtime,Appalachian,and
gypsymusicfromRomania.Itwasareawakening,anew
worldofmusicforme,shesaid.
Sheexplained:OnethingreallyimportanttotheLooseMarbles
wasensembleplaying.WhenIfirststartedwiththem,Iwas

playingsecondtrumpet.SoIhadtoworktofindavoicewhereI
couldfitin.Ittaughtmetoplayverysimply,andtolisten.
Earlyjazzrevolvesaroundtheensemblethewholeband
sound.(Modernjazzcentersonthesolo.)Ithasbeencalledthe
soundofdemocracy,anexampleofepluribusunumoroutof
manyvoicesonesong,amusicthatdependsonmusicians
listeningtoeachother,andworkingtoward,again,acommon
purpose.
EightyearsafterarrivingintheBigEasy,Cohnleadsoneofthe
mostsynchronousyetrootsybandsinthetraditionaljazzidiom.
Ontourlastsummer,TubaSkinnyplayed24differentvenuesin
California,Maine,andNewYork.
OntheLindyHopslate1920semergence,Canadianmusic
professorHowardSpringhaswritten,Themostdirectfactor
wasthedynamicrelationshipbetweenmusiciansanddancers.
And,headded,thedancesetoffchangesinthemusic.
TheLindyHopisswingmusicmadevisible.Aswiththecornet
clarinettrombonepolyphony,thedanceplayerconnection
bringstheecstasy.Ifeveryonepushesthebeatjustright,the
momentswings.
Theyknewitbackintheday.AlbertNicholas,aCrescentCity
clarinetistwhoplayedwithJoeKingOliver,said,Theband
playedfullbutnoblasting.Joewantedtohearthosefeetonthe
floor;thefeetofthedancers.Hedsay,Whenyoudonthear
thosefeet,yourenotplayingmusic;youremakingnoise.
Andtheyknowittoday.InWhyNewOrleansMatters,Tom
Piazzahaswritten,MacRebennack,betterknownasDr.John,
oncetoldmethatwhenabrassbandplaysatasmallclubback
upinoneoftheneighborhoods,itsasiftheaudiencedancing,

singingtotherefrains,laughingispartoftheband.Theyare
twopartsofthesamething.
Sothebeatgoesintothefeetandconnectseveryonewhois
presenttoeachother,evenasitinducesatemporarystateof
splendidfreedom.Thinkofachildonaswingset.Atthetopof
thearc,theresamomentbetweengoingupandcomingdown.
Thechildfloats,buoyant.Hesfoundreleasefromgravityand
fromallthatwordimplies.Andgravity,asEinsteinshoweda
centuryago,isawarpinspacetime.
Beyondthecenturyoldscientificandmusicalparallels,there
aresocioeconomicones.InhislandmarkstudyBowlingAlone,
thesociologistRobertPutnamhasseenadeclineinoursocial
capital,thatis,inourconnectionswithothers.Inthelate
nineteenthandearlytwentiethcentury,massiveindustrialization
andimmigrationsplitupfamiliesandneighborhoods.Today,
Putnamwrites,wehaveagainbeenovertakenbyatreacherous
ripcurrent.Withoutfirstnoticing,wehavebeenpulledapart
fromoneanotherandfromourcommunities.
Bycontrast,BruceBoydRaeburn,ofTulaneUniversitysHogan
JazzArchive,describedtheearlyyearsofjazzthisway:New
Orleansplayersheldavirtualmonopolyonthesyntaxof
collectiveimprovisation,amusicalgiveandtakewhich
resembledastreetcornerconversationwitheveryonetryingto
getawordinedgewise.Inatimeofpoliticalpolarization,it
makessensethatmusicanddancingthatconnectspeopleshould
seemespeciallyexciting,ananswertosomeoftheestrangement
andalienationwefeeloffthedancefloor.
The32yearoldtrumpeter/vocalistBriaSkonberg,abrightlight
inthejazzresurgence,hasplayedmajorNYCjazzvenuesand

touredceaselesslyaroundNorthAmerica.Comingoutofthe
nextgreatdepression,shetoldme,themusicmightbea
waytobringpeopletogether.Theenergyisthatmuchmore
importantindarktimes.
Itisthehumanquest,fromthedarkintothelight.Writingof
EmancipationandthespiritualGoDownMoses,the
greatNewOrleansreedmanSidneyBechetrecalled:
Itwasyearstheydbeensingingthat.Andsuddenlytherewasa
differentwayofsingingit.Youcouldfeelanewwayof
happinessinthelines.Allthatwaiting,allthattimewhenthat
songwasfaroffmusic,waitingmusic,sufferingmusic;andall
atonceitwasthere,ithadarrived.Itwasjoymusicnow.
Sonow,tenyearspostKatrina,whatswiththeswingjazz
resurgence?TomPiazzamayhavehitit:Mostfuneral
traditionsinoursocietyaretheretoremindusthatwearedust,
andtodustweshallreturn.InNewOrleansthefuneralsremind
usthatLifeisbiggerthananyindividuallife,anditwillrollon,
andfortheshorttimethatyourindividuallifejoinsthebig
streamofLife,cutsomedecentsteps,forGodssake.