<I>The Subject Is Jazz: Early Jazz</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1958
name: label: Produced by
content: George Norford, American
label: Produced by
content: Universal Network Television, American, founded 1950
label: Subject of
content: Wilbur de Paris, American, 1900 - 1973
label: Subject of
content: Gilbert Vivian Seldes, American, 1893 - 1970
label: Owned by
content: Ernie Smith, American, ca. 1925 - 2004
notes: label: Description
content: 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."
label: Description
content: 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.
place: label: Place depicted
content: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Film
label: Topic
content: Instrumentalists (Musicians)
label: Topic
content: Jazz (Music)
label: Topic
content: Television
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Portfolio/Series
content: The Subject Is Jazz
label: Classification
content: Time-based Media - Moving Images
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anonymous Gift in memory of Ernest (Ernie) R. Smith, Jazz Historian
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2015.275.42.1a
objectType: label: Type
content: sound films
label: Type
content: black-and-white films (visual works)
label: Type
content: 16mm (photographic film size)
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Unknown - Restrictions Possible
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: acetate film
label: Dimensions
content: Duration (digital file): 00:30:11
label: Dimensions
content: Physical extent (film): 1200 ft