A Trumpet around the Corner: The Story of New Orleans Jazz

Samuel Charters, a New Orleans music historian, has written A Trumpet around the Corner: The Story of New Orleans Jazz, which provides a balanced assessment of the role played by all three of the city's musical lineages in jazz's formative years. The book discusses the worldwide interest in the New Orleans jazz revival and the exciting resurgence of brass bands. It also highlights the renewed concern over New Orleans's musical heritage, which is at risk after Hurricane Katrina.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 392 pages
Publication date: 15 January 2024
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi

Samuel Charters, a renowned scholar and author, has dedicated over fifty years to exploring and documenting the rich musical heritage of New Orleans. In his groundbreaking work, "A Trumpet around the Corner: The Story of New Orleans Jazz," Charters presents a comprehensive account of a century of jazz in the city. While there remains debate regarding the racial origins and cultural influences of New Orleans jazz, Charters offers a balanced perspective that recognizes the significant contributions of African American, white, and Creole musical traditions in the genre's formative years. Additionally, he delves into the impact of Italian immigrant musicians who left their own distinctive mark on the evolving styles of jazz.

The foundation of this extensive study rests on the author's extensive interviews, conducted since the 1950s, which draw upon the rich material collected by the Oral History Project in New Orleans. Furthermore, Charters has extensively researched the recent scholarship of a new generation of writers and has conducted an exhaustive examination of related newspaper files from the jazz era. This comprehensive approach ensures a thorough and accurate portrayal of the musical landscape of New Orleans.

"A Trumpet around the Corner" expands the scope of Charters' previous work, "Jazz: New Orleans, 1885-1957," and delves into the earliest recordings of New Orleans jazz. The book not only chronicles the history of the genre but also brings the story up to the present, highlighting the global interest in the New Orleans jazz revival of the 1950s and 1960s. It also explores the vibrant resurgence of brass bands in recent decades, adding a new dimension to the narrative.

Furthermore, "A Trumpet around the Corner" addresses the renewed concern over New Orleans' musical heritage, which faced significant threats after the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters. Charters sheds light on the efforts being made to preserve and celebrate the city's rich musical traditions, ensuring that the legacy of New Orleans jazz continues to thrive for generations to come.

In conclusion, Samuel Charters' "A Trumpet around the Corner: The Story of New Orleans Jazz" is a seminal work that provides a comprehensive and insightful exploration of the city's rich musical heritage. Through his meticulous research, balanced perspective, and extensive coverage, Charters has contributed significantly to our understanding of jazz and its place in American cultural history. This book is a must-read for music enthusiasts, historians, and anyone interested in the vibrant and dynamic world of New Orleans jazz.

Weight: 622g
Dimension: 155 x 234 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496849540