Friday, May 26, 2023

the last book I ever read (The Wild Tchoupitoulas (33 1/3) by Bryan Wagner, excerpt ten)

from The Wild Tchoupitoulas (33 1/3) by Bryan Wagner

Coming in the wake of desegregation, this cultural economy was anticipated by institutions like Preservation Hall, begun in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe as a racially integrated venue for traditional jazz where the city’s againg musicians could find steady work. Following the success of Preservation Hall, music enthusiasts tried several times to establish a jazz festival in New Orleans, but the city’s continuing commitment to racial segregation proved an obstacle as promoters like George Wein, who ran the Newport Jazz Festival, refused to participate unless there were guarantees that both bands and audiences would be integrated and that visiting artists would have equal access to hotels and restaurants. There were some false starts, but finally, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival commenced in 1970, marking in the minds of many people the beginning of a new era in the city.



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