Sittin' In : Jazz Clubs of the 1940s and 1950s
Author(s): Jeff Gold
A rare collection of more than 200 full-color and black-and-white souvenir photographs and memorabilia that bring to life the renowned jazz nightclubs of the 1940s and 1950s, compiled by Grammy Award-winning record executive and music historian Jeff Gold and featuring exclusive interviews with Quincy Jones, Sonny Rollins, Robin Givhan, Jason Moran, and Dan Morgenstern.
In the two decades before the Civil Rights movement, jazz nightclubs were among the first places that opened their doors to both Black and white performers and club goers in Jim Crow America. In this extraordinary collection, Jeff Gold looks back at this explosive moment in the history of Jazz and American culture, and the spaces at the center of artistic and social change.
Sittin’ In is a visual history of jazz clubs during these crucial decades when some of the greatest names in in the genre—Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, and many others—were headlining acts across the country. In many of the clubs, Black and white musicians played together and more significantly, people of all races gathered together to enjoy an evening’s entertainment. House photographers roamed the floor and for a dollar, took picture of patrons that were developed on site and could be taken home in a keepsake folder with the club’s name and logo.
Sittin’ In tells the story of the most popular club in these cities through striking images, first-hand anecdotes, true tales about the musicians who performed their unforgettable shows, notes on important music recorded live there, and more. All of this is supplemented by colorful club memorabilia, including posters, handbills, menus, branded matchbooks, and more. Inside you’ll also find exclusive, in-depth interviews conducted specifically for this book with the legendary Quincy Jones; jazz great tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins; Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion critic Robin Givhan; jazz musician and creative director of the Kennedy Center, Jason Moran; and jazz critic Dan Morgenstern.
Gold surveys America’s jazz scene and its intersection with racism during segregation, focusing on three crucial regions: the East Coast (New York, Atlantic City, Boston, Washington, D.C.); the Midwest (Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City); and the West Coast (Los Angeles, San Francisco).
This collection of ephemeral snapshots tells the story of an era that helped transform American life, beginning the move from traditional Dixieland jazz to bebop, from conservatism to the push for personal freedom.
Review(s):
A great book…A story that needs to be told!
Vivid and beautiful...
Unprecedented...explores a seminal period in jazz culture, including how [jazz clubs] broke racial barriers...an incredible trove of unseen photos and memorabilia as well as exclusive interviews with Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones and Dan Morgenstern, among others.
Sending big-time props to my brother, Jeff Gold, on the release of his new book, Sittin' In—the first book exclusively dedicated to the story of America’s jazz clubs...This book covers the incredibly important role jazz played in integration, as jazz clubs were among some of the first places that allowed integration during the Jim Crow era, on stages & in the audiences. It was never about the color of your skin...jazz was & is simply about, “Can you play, sucka!” & that’s exactly what this book is about!
A vibrant history of jazz clubs...beautifully designed...meticulously laid out and researched.
Sittin’ In is fabulous: well thought out, beautifully put together, and artfully done with superb taste. A treasure.
A beautiful book...highly, highly recommended.
Absolutely fascinating...a thoroughly entertaining, coherent, visually enticing package.
Sittin’ In is in a word—exquisite. Meticulously laid out and extensively researched, it’s a deep dive into this amazing period of American cultural history. These venues and this amazing music were among the best vehicles for integration the country ever had. This was an America really making a go of bringing people together. It wasn’t legislation. It was Jazz. And it worked. We are incredibly lucky to have Sittin’ In. The musicians in these pages made some of the most sublime music you will ever hear. Seek it out if you have not already.
Without a doubt a MAJOR contribution to jazz history in so many ways. An explosion of never-before-seen images, an expert history of the music it celebrates, and lengthy and superb interviews with a killer-row of musicians and scholars. Truly a must-have for anyone for whom swing is the thing.
ISBN: 9780062914705