Harlem Nights - The Secret History of Australia's Jazz Age

O'Connell, Deirdre
Harlem Nights - The Secret History of Australia's Jazz Age

Harlem Nights - The Secret History of Australia's Jazz Age

O'Connell, Deirdre
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The untold story of race and power in Australia's Jazz Age

The 1920s were a time of wonder and flux, when Australians sensed a world growing smaller, turning faster - and, for some, skittering off balance. American movies, music and dance brought together what racial lines kept apart. A spirit of youthful rebellion collided with the promise of racial perfectibility, stirring deep anxieties in white nationalists and moral reformers. African-American jazz represented the type of modernism that cosmopolitan Australians craved - and the champions of White Australia feared.
Enter Sonny Clay's Colored Idea. Snuck in under the wire by an astute promoter, the Harlem-style revue broke from the usual blackface minstrel fare, delivering sophisticated, liberating rhythms. The story of their Australian tour is a tale of conspiracy - a secret plan to kick out and keep out 'undesirable' expressions of modernism, music and race. From the wild jazz clubs of Prohibition-era LA to Indigenous women discovering a new world of black resistance, this anatomy of a scandal-fuelled frame-up brings into focus a vibrant cast of characters from Australia's Jazz Age.

Author:   O'Connell, Deirdre
Publisher:   Melbourne University Press
ISBN:  

9780522877649


Pages:   432
Publication Date:   02 November 2021
Bind Format:   Paperback
Availability:  
This item is in stock and will be dispatched immediately.

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The untold story of race and power in Australia's Jazz Age

The 1920s were a time of wonder and flux, when Australians sensed a world growing smaller, turning faster - and, for some, skittering off balance. American movies, music and dance brought together what racial lines kept apart. A spirit of youthful rebellion collided with the promise of racial perfectibility, stirring deep anxieties in white nationalists and moral reformers. African-American jazz represented the type of modernism that cosmopolitan Australians craved - and the champions of White Australia feared.
Enter Sonny Clay's Colored Idea. Snuck in under the wire by an astute promoter, the Harlem-style revue broke from the usual blackface minstrel fare, delivering sophisticated, liberating rhythms. The story of their Australian tour is a tale of conspiracy - a secret plan to kick out and keep out 'undesirable' expressions of modernism, music and race. From the wild jazz clubs of Prohibition-era LA to Indigenous women discovering a new world of black resistance, this anatomy of a scandal-fuelled frame-up brings into focus a vibrant cast of characters from Australia's Jazz Age.

Product Details
Author:   O'Connell, Deirdre
Publisher:   Melbourne University Press
ISBN:  

9780522877649


Pages:   432
Publication Date:   02 November 2021
Bind Format:   Paperback
Availability:  
This item is in stock and will be dispatched immediately.
Reviews

Reviews

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No review item found!