Bert Kelly's Jaz Band (UNCLASSIFIED)

[Ben Zimmer]

On Mon, Sep 13, 2010 at 5:10 PM, Mullins, Bill AMRDEC wrote:
>>
>> The 1/15/1917 advertisement does confirm [Bert] Kelly's claim that he
>> was among the first to use "jazz band," but does not demonstrate his
>> absolute priority, since there were at least two other "jazz bands," Brown's
>> Jazz Band and the Original Dixieland Jass Band, prior to that date.
>
> Also:
> [Indianapolis] _Freeman_ 11/25/1916 p 6 col 5 [EAN]
> [advertisement] "Biggest Ballad Hit of the Season
> By W. Benton Overstreet
> "I Wonder if Your Loving Heart Still Pines for Me"
> Sung with success by Anna Holt with Estelle Harris
> and her "Jazz" Orchestra."
>
[snip others from Dec. 1916]

The ODJB's precursor, Stein's Band From Dixie, was referred to as "the
imported New Orleans Jass Band" in the May 1, 1916 Chicago Herald (see
HDAS and OED). The group accompanying Estella Harris was called a
"Jass Band" in the Chicago Defender on Sep. 30, 1916.

--bgz


--
Ben Zimmer
http://benzimmer.com/

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org