jaz, v. 1916

[victor steinbok]

Looking over jazz v. in the OED, I see several entries. All date from about
the same period, but there are some variations (1915-7). I have one that is
somewhere in between and I'd like someone with more expertise in the topic
to place it.

http://goo.gl/tT0cT
Collier's. December 28, 1916
Breakfast in Bed. By James William Fitzpatrick. p. 15/3

> "They'll eat it up," retorted Izzy confidentially. "I been in here a coupla
> times while we was layin' off, an' I got this audience all piped off.
> They'll fall fer the ginger harder than any slab we ever played. The
> managers ain't as particular as they used to be. They're out fer the coin
> now just the same as Swede Eddie at the Midway, an' they're wakin' up that
> their audiences likes the old jaz. Take it from me, I'll jaz em up an' make
> them two-dollar birds like it."



This is somewhere between 3.a. and 3.b. IMO (both dated to 1917), but I'm
not certain.

There are also multiple references to "Jass Band" and "Jaz Band" in several
publications, including  titles in the Catalog of Copyright Entries for
1916. OED has jazz band from May 4, 1916. Eddie Gray's When I Hear That Jaz
Band Play is from May 18, 1916. Coleman Goetz/Leon Flatow, Everybody Loves a
Jass Band is from December 16, 1916. Scouring periodicals is certain to
reveal citations prior to May 1916.

Also a very slight antedating of "jazz music" (Dec. 1916 --> Nov. 1916):

http://goo.gl/EN9Eb
The Chicago Chemical Bulletin. Volume 3 (10). November 1916
Editorial. p. 155/1

> It hovers invisibly over us when boisterous "jass" music is played at the
> doors of our assembly rooms or raging fire patrols rattle over cobble
> pavements beneath the lecture room, calming the members with the promise
> that "next" year a more suitable place will be found for the meetings of the
> Section.


Again, periodicals likely would improve that date.

I also found this puzzling item. I thought I'd mention it, although it
appears to be out of the range of interest.

The library notation states that the book is from 1914--and the fourth
volume covers through 1914. In the index (p. 376), you may find and entry
"Jazz bands foreshadowed, i. 290". This, of course, does not imply that the
words "jazz band" appeared on the respective page--in fact, they do not. But
it is still a potentially early citation for "jazz band" (see above) and a
fairly early citation for "jazz" in general. The reference appears to be to
this passage.

http://goo.gl/3exKa
Mr. Punch's History of Modern England: 1892-1914. By Charles Larcom Graves.
New York: 1914[?]
p.290

> An eminent conductor and composer has recently stated that no noise which
> is deliberately made can be said to be ugly--e.g. a railway whistle or a boy
> whistling in the street.


The dating of 1914 is, in fact, unlikely. WorldCat lists the book as 1922.
Digging a little deeper shows that Volume 1 was likely published in 1921,
volume 4 (and the index) in 1922. Oh, well--too much to hope for.

VS-)

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