The Subject Is Jazz: Early Jazz: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

An episode entitled "Early Jazz," from the television anthology called The Subject is Jazz. It consists of a single reel of black-and-white, 16 mm acetate film with bilateral variable-area optical sound. The episode opens with title cards that read [The / National Broadcasting / Company / in cooperation with / The / Educational Television / and Radio Center / presents / the subject / is / jazz / With / Gilbert / Seldes / Early / Jazz]. An announcer speaks as the title cards appear, while a jazz band performs in the background. Host Gilbert Seldes then appears on screen and uses an analogy to compare jazz music to the Mississippi River. He then describes the sources/elements of jazz: drums from Africa, marching band music, hymns, British folk songs, and other miscellaneous sounds. Subsequently, he introduces Wilbur de Paris and his band, and the group performs "Muskrat Ramble."

Host Seldes then returns to the screen and discusses the development of jazz music in New Orleans. Some of the other topics/scenes in the episode include a New Orleans band playing hymns in a procession before and after a funeral; the musical instruments used in jazz (as he describes each musical instrument and the role it plays in the band, a band member plays that instrument in the background until all the instruments start playing); the proliferation of jazz to other cities in the United States. At one point, Wilbur de Paris then joins Gilbert Seldes on set and describes the development of jazz ensembles (the band then performs "Frankie and Johnny" in a New Orleans jazz style). Seldes then asks Wilbur de Paris to explain the difference between New Orleans jazz and Dixieland jazz (the band performs "Panama Rag" to demonstrate Dixieland music); de Paris is also asked to explain how his "new" New Orleans jazz differs from traditional New Orleans jazz. The episode ends with Gilbert Seldes describing the next episode in the series before the closing credits role.

Materials, dates and provenance

• Date: 1958
• Produced by: George Norford, American
• Produced by: Universal Network Television, American, founded 1950
• Subject of: Wilbur de Paris, American, 1900 - 1973
• Subject of: Gilbert Vivian Seldes, American, 1893 - 1970
• Owned by: Ernie Smith, American, ca. 1925 - 2004
• Type: sound films
• Type: black-and-white films (visual works)
• Type: 16mm (photographic film size)
• Medium: acetate film
• Dimensions: Duration (digital file): 00:30:11
• Dimensions: Physical extent (film): 1200 ft
• Place depicted: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
• Topic: African American
• Topic: Film
• Topic: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
• Topic: Jazz (Music)
• Topic: Television
• Object number: 2015.275.42.1a
• Credit Line: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anonymous Gift in memory of Ernest (Ernie) R. Smith, Jazz Historian
• Data Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of African American History and Culture through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed. The underlying object's rights statement is: Unknown - Restrictions Possible Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.