Jazz Lyrics & References - Why History Matters

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Art doesn’t exist in isolation; it is a constant dialogue between the past, the present, and the experiences and aspirations of the artist. Lindy Hop, jazz, and swing dance are no different. To me, the more I learn about the history of Lindy Hop and the original dancers, the more I feel that I understand how to to contribute to Lindy Hop in its modern form.

For a tiny look into this history, I’ve been researching some of the lyrics and titles of jazz songs that co-evolved with Lindy Hop. I hope you enjoy them!

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00:00 - Intro
01:21 - WW2 Lyrics
02:36 - Slang
03:49 - Jackie Robinson
06:25 - Jumping with Symphony Sid
08:00 - Harlem Airshaft
09:55 - Stepin Fetchit
12:34 - Place Specific Songs
13:09 - A Train
14:05 - Harlem, Home of Civil Rights Titans

Previous addresses of jazz greats in Harlem:
Duke Ellington: 935 St. Nicholas Avenue
Billie Holiday: 26 West 87th Street - someone lives there now - in her house!
Count Basie: 2150 Seventh Avenue (now Adam Clayton Powell Jr Boulevard), between 127th and 128th streets.
Fats Waller: West 134th Street
Langston Hughes: 20 E 127th St

General Sources:
https://www.jazziz.com/short-history-darktown-strutters-ball-shelton-brooks-1915/
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sneaky%20Pete
https://time.com/5445581/slang-dictionary-oed-lowkey-highkey/
https://www.openculture.com/2015/01/cab-calloways-hepster-dictionary.html
https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/332485/versions
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Sneaky%20Pete

Jackie Robinson:
http://3.128.87.165/biography/
https://www.loc.gov/collections/jackie-robinson-baseball/articles-and-essays/baseball-the-color-line-and-jackie-robinson/did-you-see-jackie-robinson-hit-that-ball/
https://www.loc.gov/collections/jackie-robinson-baseball/articles-and-essays/baseball-the-color-line-and-jackie-robinson/1947-to-1956/
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jackie-robinson-breaks-color-barrier
https://www.loc.gov/collections/jackie-robinson-baseball/articles-and-essays/baseball-the-color-line-and-jackie-robinson/1940-to-1946/Great Interview on Dick Caveat Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCr0RAzf8ds

Jazz Integration - Teddy Wilson:
https://www.npr.org/2009/05/30/104713445/benny-goodman-forever-the-king-of-swing
https://syncopatedtimes.com/teddy-wilson-american-jazz-hero/

Slang:
https://www.npr.org/2009/08/27/112255870/lester-young-the-prez-still-rules-at-100
https://www.openculture.com/2015/01/cab-calloways-hepster-dictionary.html

Symphony Sid:
https://secondhandsongs.com/work/136609
https://www.mmone.org/symphony-sid/
https://www.sandybrownjazz.co.uk/TracksUnwrapped/JumpinWithSymphonySid.html
https://www.britannica.com/art/race-record
https://www.history.com/news/race-records-bessie-smith-big-bill-broonzy-music-business

Harlem Air Shaft:
https://www.6sqft.com/a-short-history-of-new-york-citys-foul-air-shafts/
https://brianwestbye.wordpress.com/2012/01/26/air-shaft/
https://americanexperience.si.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Tenement-Life_.pdf
https://www.npr.org/2016/11/03/500504682/the-lush-life-of-billy-strayhorn

Stepin Fetchit:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275297/bio
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80348/retrobituaries-lincoln-perry-first-african-american-movie-star
https://allthatsinteresting.com/stepin-fetchithttps://www.npr.org/2006/03/06/5245089/stepin-fetchit-hollywoods-first-black-film-star
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275297/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm
https://www.vulture.com/2017/02/stepin-fetchit-legacy-obstacle-black-comedians.html

Uncle Tom:
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93059468
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Uncle%20Tom
https://theconversation.com/how-uncle-tom-still-impacts-racial-politics-152201

Sugar Hill, the A Train, & Billy Strayhorn:
http://www.nyc-architecture.com/HAR/HAR-History.htm
https://www.writingcities.com/2017/04/24/harlem-sugar-hill-and-the-unmarked-homes-of-legends/
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/23/nyregion/23sugarhill.html
https://untappedcities.com/2020/06/15/33-places-in-nyc-to-celebrate-black-history/19/
https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/fabulous-harlem-the-sweet-history-of-sugar-hill/
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100731586
https://untappedcities.com/2021/07/06/end-of-a-train-guide/
https://www.boredpanda.com/vintage-photography-new-york-metro-jamel-shabazz/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Harlem:
https://www.harlemworldmagazine.com/fabulous-harlem-the-sweet-history-of-sugar-hill/