What is Earliest Musical Usage of "Jazz"?

[Fred Shapiro]

There has been much discussion here about the earliest use of the word
"jazz" meaning "vigor."  But it seems to me also of great interest to
trace the earliest use of "jazz" in its musical sense.  Has there been any
investigation of that question?  The earliest precisely dated citation in
HDAS is from Variety, 27 Oct. 1916.  But the book _Lost Chords: White
Musicians and Their Contribution to Jazz_ by Richard M. Sudhalter notes
the following:

"A September 30, 1916, Chicago Defender article refers to a 'jass band'
led by black pianist-songwriter H. Benton Overstreet ('There'll Be Some
Changes Made'), accompanying vaudeville singer Estella Harris."

Does anyone have anything earlier than this?

Fred Shapiro


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Fred R. Shapiro                             Editor
Associate Librarian for Collections and     YALE DICTIONARY OF QUOTATIONS
  Access and Lecturer in Legal Research     Yale University Press,
Yale Law School                             forthcoming
e-mail: fred.shapiro at yale.edu               http://quotationdictionary.com
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