Book Examines History of Jazz in Baltimore

In discussions of jazz history, it's easy to forget that New York isn't the only place in the world. While virtually every notable jazz musician has called New York home, during the years preceeding the Harlem Renaissance, many other cities had proportionately vibrant jazz scenes.

One of those cities was Baltimore, Maryland. Aside from housing its own African American renaissance on Pennsylvania Avenue, replete with jazz clubs, soul food restaurants, and business that employed and catered to an emerging black middle class in the 1920s and 1930s, Baltimore was the birthplace of swing drummer Chick Webb, and the early stomping grounds of both Billie Holiday and Cab Calloway.

Music at the Crossroads: Lives and Legacies of Baltimore Jazz, a new book edited by Mark Osteen and Frank Graziano, explores the history of jazz in Baltimore with a collection of essays focussing on the lives and discographies of past Baltimore jazz musicians, as well as a look at the past and future of Baltimore's jazz scene. Read more about the book in this article in the Baltimore City Paper.
Image Courtesy of Apprentice House.

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