Paul Whiteman: Pioneer in American Music, 1890-1930 (Studies in Jazz) [Hardcover]

Don Rayno (Author), William H. Youngren (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Studies in Jazz | Publication Date: October 2003

When Paul Whiteman, the best-known dance band leader of the flapper age, brought his entourage to town it was a big deal. Mayors met him at the train station and presented him with the key to the city, parades and throngs of cheering crowds escorted him to City Hall, and special luncheons were held in his honor. Eventually dubbed the "King of Jazz," Whiteman grew into one of the biggest promoters of players, singers, and arrangers of all times. Many well-known musicians got their first big boost in his band including Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Frank Trumbauer, Bix Beiderbecke, Johnny Mercer, Mildred Bailey, and Ferde Grofé.

When it came to jazz, Whiteman was a trailblazer. He invented "symphonic jazz" and gave the first performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, one of the most enduringly popular of all jazz-influenced musical works of the 20th century. He perfected the one-nighter concert tours, traveling across the country by train, from city to city, with his unique brand of music. He was also the first to employ a special arranger to craft tailor-made charts to fit the Whiteman Orchestra's instrumentation and sound.

This is the first of a two-volume set that will serve as the definitive work on the life and music of this legendary jazz leader. Covering the early years from 1890 to 1930, the text will entertain and inform the reader about the exciting life of one of the major influencers of jazz music and also provide a nostalgic glimpse of what life was like during the Roaring Twenties.

Features:
· Day-by-day chronology 1890-1930
· Comprehensive discography of recordings 1920-1930
· Gallery of Whiteman's band members-alphabetical listing from 1918 to 1930 (includes birth and death dates)
· Detailed reference notes with biographical sketches of famous people
· Extensive bibliography and index, including index of songs
· Nearly 60 rare, black and white photos

Editorial Reviews

Review

Meticulously researched... (Just Jazz )

For anyone with an interest in Paul Whiteman, this book must surely be an essential purchase. (New Orleans Music )

...a long overdue biography of a long-maligned and neglected icon whose influence and generosity gave us so many of the musicians and singers we revere today.... (Bing )

Rayno has written the definitive Whiteman biography....The book, which took nearly twenty years to write, is an exhaustive study of the man and his music....It is a most interesting book to read and a valuable reference for anyone interested in the music of that era. I look forward to reading volume two. (The Potomac River Jazz Club )

Though Rayno writes in the homemade prose style and with the uncritical enthusiasm of the hobbyist, there is nothing amateurish about his meticulous scholarship, and the facts he has so painstakingly assembled have cleared the way for a fully informed reconsideration of Whiteman's place in American music. (Terry Teachout Commentary Magazine )

Rayno describes [this book] as "a vigorous attempt to set the record straight." The attempt is unarguably successful. (Mississippi Rag )

This is a wonderful book and not just for a read - it's a very useful reference work, too…Writers and researchers will turn to it often. (Jazz Journal International )

From any perspective, [this book] is an astonishing achievement…A wonderful value and a must for all those with an interest in 1920s popular music. (Jazz Rag )

A researcher's dream, to be sure, but it is also readable on many levels…Rayno's treatise is clearly a labor of love and is the definitive musical biography of Paul Whiteman. Majestic and thorough, it deserves a place in any library of popular music. (Steven Lowery )

The most complete story of Whiteman and music that ranged from syncopated dance tunes to concert styled compositions...herculean. (Radiogram )

Unsurpassed…Rayno has gone to extraordinary lengths to build the fullest possible picture of Whiteman and his band and the results are astonishing…the real clincher is the biographical sketches of virtually everyone ever associated with Whiteman, from musicians to politicians to bootleggers to film directors to night club owners. This is an absolute goldmine of information for anyone with a serious interest in the musical scene of the period…a monumental achievement. (Vjm's Jazz & Blues Mart )

...a most interesting book to read and a valuable reference for anyone interested in the music of that era. (The American Rag )

Rayno has done painstaking research on Paul Whiteman over a twenty-year period....This book documents the contributions Whiteman made in educating the public about this unique American musical art form. (The Escambia Sun-Press, Llc )

Rayno's big book is daunting. Its collection of data amazes and confounds, its discography is important, and Youngren's opening essay is terrific and brief. (Notes )

Rayno's book sheds much-needed light on a misunderstood figure in American music and provides a detailed picture of Whiteman's many facets. (John Edward Hasse )

Here finally is a remarkably accurate, equable, and impeccably researched assessment of the life and achievements of Paul Whiteman, for many decades the most maligned figure in jazz history. Bravo to Don Rayno for sorting out reality from myth, fact from fiction. (Gunther Schuller )

Exhaustively researched for nearly two decades, the definitive Paul Whiteman study has supplanted fiction with fact and wild surmise with sober reason. (Norman P. Gentieu )

About the Author

Don Rayno is Director, Raleigh-Area Concerts of Prayer, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 840 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810845792
• ISBN-13: 978-0810845794
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.4 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,425,366 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars King of Jazz?, December 2, 2007

By 

Drew - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul Whiteman: Pioneer in American Music, 1890-1930 (Studies in Jazz) (Hardcover)

It's an oft quoted title bestowed on a man who was far more of a showman than a jazz musician. Nevertheless, through his large symphonic style showbands Whiteman was able to present a number of top jazz artistes, although purists will always debate those settings long and hard!

What is not in debate is the cavalcade of stars that passed through Whiteman's ranks at one time or another and especially during the peak years of the nineteen twenties. From the unstable genious of cornetist Bix Beiderbecke to the Dorsey Brothers (Tommy and Jimmy both) to saxist Frankie Trumbauer, the list goes on.

Then of course there was that singing fellow by the name of Bing Crosby...

Oh yes, and the arranging talents of Johnny Mercer...

What of Whiteman the man? In his heyday he was a trailblazer, inventing 'symphonic jazz'and staging the debut performance of George Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue' with the composer himself at the piano.

Happy days from long ago!

This book is volume 1 of the Whiteman story from Scarecrow Press and is typical of those in the genre, being a combination of both entetaining biography and learned reference work. If you want 'everything Whiteman' look no further.

Drew

[...]

5.0 out of 5 stars An encyclopedia of Pops!, October 24, 2011

By 

D. Kjeldgaard - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paul Whiteman: Pioneer in American Music, 1890-1930 (Studies in Jazz) (Hardcover)

Mr.Rayno made himself my hero, with this book. There's so much information 'packed' into over 800 pages that it's got to be kept within reach whenever Whiteman, jazz, or any music of the 1920s are the subjects at hand. Besides a fact-filled, nonjudgmental biography, you'll find mini-bios of Paul's musicians, a songs index, a musicians index, an almost day-by-day chronology of every little thing Paul did until 1930, and most fantastic of all: a finely detailed discography of every record made until 1930, complete with musicians, arranger, the key used, and a review of the actual music as recorded. I love to play my Whiteman records while reviewing Mr.Rayno's notes on each one - he increases my enjoyment and understanding every time.

Perhaps the most "light-bulb-over-my-head" moment came when I read, and understood, what Paul Whiteman meant by "Symphonic Jazz"; it wasn't just those big productions like Rhapsody in Blue or Mississippi Suite - he meant his ENTIRE APPROACH to 'Jazz" and the rest of the pop music of his day: to play it with the same precision, preparation, and perfection of his symphony orchestra, Victor Herbert, and Minetti String Quartet experience.

I have awaited Volume Two since the moment I opened Volume One!! Get this book - you'll want Volume Two, just as much as I do.