''Jazz Information'' was an American non-commercial weekly jazz publication founded as a record collector's sheet in 1939 by

Eugene Williams Eugene Williams may refer to: * Eugene Williams Sr. (born 1941), educator and motivational speaker * Eugene Williams (baseball) (1932–2008) * Eugene Williams (jazz critic) (1918–1948) * Eugene Williams (born 1918), one of the nine teenage Afr ...

(1918–1948), Ralph Gleason,

Ralph de Toledano Ralph de Toledano (August 17, 1916 – February 3, 2007) was an American writer in the Conservatism in the United States, conservative movement in the United States throughout the second half of the 20th century. A friend of Richard Nixon, he was ...

, and Jean Rayburn (maiden name; 1918–2009), who married Ralph Gleason in 1940.

History

The first issue, dated September 8, 1939, was a four-page newsletter that was

mimeographed A mimeograph machine (often abbreviated to mimeo, sometimes called a stencil duplicator or stencil machine) is a low-cost duplicating machines, duplicating machine that works by forcing ink through a stencil onto paper. The process is called ...

late one night in the back room of the Commodore Music Shop in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

at 46 West 52nd Street. In July 1940, ''Jazz Information,'' went from a newsletter to a little magazine format, hip pocket in size with modest typesetting. George Hoefer, Jr. (1909–1967), began the "Safety Valve" column on collecting, collectors, and how collectors annoyed musicians. The publication ran sporadically until November 1941.

Editorial bent

Stephen W Smith, editor of the '' Hot Record Society Rag'', leaned towards what then was progressive jazz. Eugene Williams, through ''Jazz Information'', leaned towards a New Orleans revivalists bent.

Record label

Jazz Information was a record label distributed by

Commodore Records Commodore Records was an American independent record label known for producing Dixieland jazz and Swing music, swing. It is also remembered for releasing Billie Holiday's hit "Strange Fruit". History Commodore Records was founded in the spring o ...

that produced recordings of

Bunk Johnson Willie Gary "Bunk" Johnson (December 27, 1889 – July 7, 1949) was an American prominent jazz trumpeter from New Orleans. Biography Birth Johnson gave the year of his birth as 1879, although Johnson stated on his 1937 application for Socia ...

in 1942.

Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played Center (basketball), center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was t ...

, while gathering material for ''Jazzmen'' in 1938, discovered long forgotten New Orleans trumpeter

on a farm in

New Iberia, Louisiana New Iberia (; ) is the largest city in and the parish seat of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, Iberia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The city of New Iberia is located approximately southeast of Lafayette, Louisiana, Lafayette, and forms part of ...

. In 1942, Russell helped get Johnson a new set of teeth and a new trumpet. And, with Eugene Williams, editor if ''Jazz Information'' in New York; and Dave Stuart (''né'' David Ashford Stuart; 1910–1984), owner of the

Jazz Man Record Shop Jazz Man Records was an American record company and independent record label devoted to traditional New Orleans-style jazz. David Stuart ''(né'' David Ashford Stuart; 1910–1984) founded the label in 1941 and sold it to his ex-wife, Marili Mo ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

, traveled to

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

and made the first recordings of

Selected articles

* "Zue Robertson: King of the Trombone" ( Zue Robertson), by William Russell 1 (1940): 3 * "Omer Simeon" ( Omer Simeon), by Herman Rosenberg & Eugene Williams, Vol. 2, No. 1, July 26, 1940, pps. 8–9 * "William Russell" (

), by Ed Nylund, Vol. 2, No. 2, August 9, 1940, pps. 15–16 (earliest known published biography of William Russell) * "Ma Rainey Discography," (

Ma Rainey Gertrude "Ma" Rainey ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early-blues recording artist. Dubbed the " Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of ...

), by William C. Love, Vol. 2, September 6, 1940, pps. 9–14 (discography) (Love was founder of the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors) * "Jimmie Noone" (

Jimmie Noone James "Jimmie" Noone (April 23, 1895 – April 19, 1944) was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. After beginning his career in New Orleans, he led Jimmie Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, a Chicago band that recorded for Vocalion and Decca ...

), by Wesley Miles Neff (1913–1996) of

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, Vol 2, October 4, 1940, pps. 6–9, 45 * "Cow Cow Davenport" ( Charles Edward Davenport), by Donald Haynes, Vol. 2, October 25, 1940, pps. 8–10 * "Barney Bigard" (

Barney Bigard Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone. Biography Bigard was born in New Orleans to Creoles of color, Cr ...

), by George Hoefer, Jr. (1909–1967), Vol. 2, November 8, 1940, pps. 7–13 (extensive article plus discography; Hoefer later was associate editor of '' Jazz & Pop)'' * "Little Mitch" ( George Mitchell), by Wesley Miles Neff (1913–1996), Vol. 2, No. 16, November 1941, pps. 31–32 * "A History of ''Jazz Information"''
transcript
, by Eugene Williams, Vol. 2, November 1941, pps. 93–101 : New Orleans Clarinet series * "New Orleans Clarinets: 2 – Edmond Hall" (

Edmond Hall Edmond Hall (May 15, 1901 – February 11, 1967) was an American jazz clarinetist and bandleader. Over his career, Hall worked extensively with many leading performers as both a sideman and bandleader and is possibly best known for the 1941 cha ...

), by Herman Rosenberg & Eugene Williams, Vol. 2, No. 2, August 9, 1940 * "New Orleans Clarinets: 7 – Sidney Bechet" (

Sidney Bechet Sidney Joseph Bechet ( ; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important Solo (music), soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Ar ...

), by Mary Evelyn Karoley ''(née'' Mary Frances Mellon; 1908–1993), Vol. 2, No. 8, December 6, 1940 : Possible related articles * ''Jazzways,'' George Sigmund Rosenthal (1922–1967) & Frank Zachary ''(né'' Frank Zaharija; 1914–2015) (eds.) (© 21 January 1946; Jazzways,

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

) (more than 100 photos by Skippy Adelman, Bernice Abbott, and Sargent John Marsh; 1916–2003) :::

: Jazzways (1946); , :::

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

: Greenberg (1946, 1947); :::

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

: Musicians Press Ltd. (1947); , ::: (Greenberg, Publisher, founded in 1924 by Jacob Walter Greenberg; 1894–1974; & David Benjamin Greenberg; 1892–1968; sold to Chilton Book Company in 1958) : Contributors : Vol. 1 :: "Report From Abroad," by

Albert McCarthy Albert J. McCarthy (1920 – 3 November 1987 London) was an English jazz and blues discographer, critic, historian, and editor. McCarthy began listening to jazz in his teens, and edited publications of the Jazz Sociological Society in the 1940s. ...

:: "Jazz begins," by

Rudi Blesh Rudolph Pickett Blesh (January 21, 1899 – August 25, 1985) was an American jazz critic and enthusiast. Biography Blesh studied at Dartmouth College and held jobs writing jazz reviews for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' and the ''New York ...

:: "Three Horns, Four Rhythm," by Dale Curran :: "Going Down State Street," by Frederic Ramsey, Jr. :: "Portrait of a Jazzman,"

Art Hodes Arthur W. Hodes (November 14, 1904 – March 4, 1993), was a Russian-born American jazz and blues pianist. He is regarded by many critics as the greatest white blues pianist. Biography Hodes was born in Nikolaev, in the Russian Empire (now Myk ...

:: "Benny Goodman," by Alexander King :: "Swing," by Frank Stacy, p. 49 :: "Lionel Hampton, by Peter Fischer :: "New Orleans Today," by Eugene Williams & Julius "Skippy" Adelman (photographer) (note: Adelman, who later gave up photography, is still considered among the finest jazz photographers) :: "Discollecting," by Frederic Ramsey, Jr. : Vol. 2 :: "Jazz begins," by

:: "Old Photographs" :: "Going Down State Street," by Frederic Ramsey, Jr. :: "Condon Mob" :: "Hot Royalty" :: "Benny Goodman," by Alexander King :: "Lionel Hampton, by Peter Fischer :: "Swing," by Frank Stacy (Stacy was, in the early 1940s, the New York editor for ''

Down Beat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'') :: "New Orleans Today," by Eugene Williams & Julius "Skippy" Adelman (born around 1924) (photographer) (note: Adelman, who later gave up photography, is still considered among the finest jazz photographers) Philadelphia jazz journalist Nels Nelson wrote in 1985 that Adelman was among the greatest jazz photographers in the world. In 1990, Nelson wrote that renowned jazz photographer " illGottlieb ranks second only to the elusive Skippy Adelman in his capacity for capturing the moment." :: "Discollecting," by Frederic Ramsey, Jr. :: "Collector's Items" :: "One for the Money" :: "Two for the Show" :: "Concerto for Woody" :: "Portrait of a Jazzman," by

(Hodes launched ''The Jazz Record'' in February 1943, which ran for 60 issues that ended November 1947) :: "Three Brass, Four Rhythm," by Dale Curran, p. 24

Selected discography

: Artists re-issued by Jazz Information *

Freddie Keppard Freddie Keppard (sometimes rendered as Freddy Keppard; February 27, 1890 – July 15, 1933) was an American jazz cornetist who once held the title of "King" in the New Orleans jazz scene. This title was previously held by Buddy Bolden and su ...

(

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

) *

Ollie Powers Ollie Powers (1890 – April 14, 1928) was an American jazz drummer and vocalist. Biography Ollie Powell was born in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. Louis Armstrong remembered him as a solo entertainer at the Dreamland Cabaret, where ...

( Claxtonola) * Leola B. Wilson (

) *

Trixie Smith Trixie Smith (c.1885/1895 – September 21, 1943), was an American blues singer and film actress. She made four dozen recordings and appeared in five films. Biography Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Smith came from a middle-class backgroun ...

(

) *

Red Onion Jazz Babies The Red Onion Jazz Babies was an early supergroup of the Jazz Age. Among its members were Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Lil Hardin Lillian Hardin Armstrong (née Hardin; February 3, 1898 – August 27, 1971) was an American jazz pianist, co ...

(

Gennett Gennett Records () was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s and produced the Gennett, Starr, Champion, Superior, and Van Speaking labels. The company also produced some Supertone, ...

) *

(Purist) * *

Bunny Berigan Roland Bernard "Bunny" Berigan (November 2, 1908 – June 2, 1942) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader who rose to fame during the swing era. His career and influence were shortened by alcoholism, and ended with his early demise at the ...

(unissued,

Vocalion Vocalion Records is an American record label, originally founded by the Aeolian Company, a piano and organ manufacturer before being bought out by Brunswick in 1924. History The label was founded in 1916 by the Aeolian Company, a maker of pian ...

, Columbia) * Frank Froeba (unissued,

) *

Don Albert Albert Dominique, better known as Don Albert (August 5, 1908, New Orleans – January 1980, San Antonio, Texas) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader. Albert's uncle was Natty Dominique. He got his start playing in parade brass bands in N ...

(

) * Boots and His Buddies (

Bluebird The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous passerine birds in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. Bluebirds lay an ...

) * Carolina Cotton Pickers (

) *

Ernie Fields Ernest Lawrence Fields (August 28, 1904 – May 11, 1997)Laprarie, Michael Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture'' (accessed May 14, 2010). was an American trombonist, pianist, arranger and bandleader. He first became known for leadin ...

(

) *

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

( Storyville) * Joe Newman (

Metronome A metronome () is a device that produces an audible click or other sound at a uniform interval that can be set by the user, typically in beats per minute (BPM). Metronomes may also include synchronized visual motion, such as a swinging pendulum ...

) *

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, pianist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing t ...

(Ingo) : Artists produced by Jazz Information *

Personnel

Magazine staff

* 1939–1941: Eugene Williams, publisher, graduated from Columbia College in 1939 * 1939–1940: Ralph Gleason, associate editor, co-founded ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' in 1967 *

* Herman Rosenberg * George Hoefer ''(né'' Elmer George Hoefer, Jr.; 1909–1967) – born in Laramie, raised in Chapel Hill with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from

UNC Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolling students in 1795 ...

– Hoefer went on to become a prolific jazz historian. From 1959 to 1961, he was the New York editor for ''

'' for which he had a column, "The Hot Box."

Magazine tag line

: "The weekly magazine," September 19, 1939, to June 14, 1940

Library access

* * * * Re-publications * * (

microfilm A microform is a scaled-down reproduction of a document, typically either photographic film or paper, made for the purposes of transmission, storage, reading, and printing. Microform images are commonly reduced to about 4% or of the original d ...

)

Online transcriptions, current and archived

: Archived ''via''

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by Internet Archive, an American nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. Launched for public access in 2001, the service allows users to go "back in ...

(transcript incorrectly identifies this as Vol. 21)
(transcript incorrectly identifies this as January 12, 1939, Vol. I, No. 21)

Bibliography

Annotations

Notes

Books, journals, magazines, and papers

* . * Retrieved May 18, 2019 – via

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

; .

* ; ; . * ; ; (paperback); . * * . * ; ; . * (publication); (article); (article). *

Retrieved May 18, 2019 – via – jazz forum site that was active for 16 years, through January 2019, registered to and maintained by Jesse Miner, a San Francisco area chef and jazz history enthusiast. The forum boards were closed in January 2019, but much of its content, as of May 2022, is accessible. The 23 links to transcripts of ''Jazz Information'' on a former website of the late Joseph Elbert Shepherd (1926–2021) of

Sterling, Virginia Sterling refers most specifically to a census-designated place (CDP) in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population of the CDP as of the 2020 United States Census was 30,337 The CDP boundaries are confined to a relatively small area between Virginia ...

https://www.swingdjs.com/viewtopic.php?t=1488
, have been archived by

News media

* (US Newsstream database). * (US Newsstream database). {{Authority control 1939 establishments in the United States Classical music record labels American jazz record labels Record labels based in New Jersey Mail-order retailers Defunct record labels of the United States