Harlem Nights
The Secret History of Australia’s Jazz Age
Deirdre O'Connell
Ebook
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As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 10% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Other formats available
- Paperback
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Harlem Nights
The Secret History of Australia’s Jazz Age
Deirdre O'Connell
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…
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.
“
Engaging and imaginative ... a vivid snapshot of a national moment that lurched from shameful disgrace to farce.”
The Age“
O’Connell relates this shameful episode in meticulous and picturesque detail ... a fascinating read.”
The AustralianDeirdre O'Connell
Deirdre O'Connell is a historian, teacher and author of The Ballad of Blind Tom. She has a background in environmental journalism and music documentary and lives in the Blue Mountains on Gundungurra and Darug land.
Ebook
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 100% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 10% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Other formats available
- Paperback
$34.99$26.24$34.99$26.24$34.99$26.24$34.99$31.49 $34.99
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