A Jazzy Trial in 1917 Chicago: Who Wrote Those Blues?

Chapter 17 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> In the midst of Chicago’s jazz boom and cabaret controversies of 1917, the city played host to a curious event in the annals of legal… Continue reading A Jazzy Trial in 1917 Chicago: Who Wrote Those Blues?

1917: The Jazz Army Goes to War, and the Shows Go On

Chapter 16 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> As 1917 began, Tom Chamales was arguing with his landlords, Catherine and Charles Hoffman, about changes he’d made at Green Mill Gardens. He’d apparently removed… Continue reading 1917: The Jazz Army Goes to War, and the Shows Go On

‘Personal Liberty’ Under Attack in 1916: The War on Cabarets

Chapter 15 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER—> In 1916, the Day Book newspaper said Green Mill Gardens was one of Chicago’s “three big personal liberty gardens.” The other two were Bismarck Gardens—located a… Continue reading ‘Personal Liberty’ Under Attack in 1916: The War on Cabarets

‘What kind of noise is that!’ When Jazz Became Jazz

Chapter 12 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> Around 1915, some musicians from New Orleans and San Francisco arrived in Chicago, where they started playing something called jazz. Did they bring that word… Continue reading ‘What kind of noise is that!’ When Jazz Became Jazz

A Tribune Reporter Discovers Jazz and Blues

Chapter 11 of The Coolest Spot in Chicago: A History of Green Mill Gardens and the Beginnings of Uptown <— PREVIOUS CHAPTER / TABLE OF CONTENTS / NEXT CHAPTER —> The next three chapters are a bit of a detour, exploring the origins of jazz and blues (the musical genres as well as the words… Continue reading A Tribune Reporter Discovers Jazz and Blues