Research Catalog

The real ambassadors : Dave and Iola Brubeck and Louis Armstrong challenge segregation

Title

The real ambassadors : Dave and Iola Brubeck and Louis Armstrong challenge segregation / Keith Hatschek ; foreword by Yolande Bavan.

Author

Hatschek, Keith

Publication

Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, [2022]
©2022

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request for On-site Use Request Scan Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Schomburg Center to submit a request in person.	Text	Use in library	Sc E 22-831	Schomburg Center - Research & Reference

Holdings

Details

Additional Authors

Bavan, Yolande

Description

xv, 279 pages : illustrations; 23 cm.

Summary

"Keith Hatschek tells the story of three determined artists: Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, and Iola Brubeck and the stand they took against segregation by writing and performing a jazz musical titled The Real Ambassadors. First conceived by the Brubecks in 1956, the musical's journey to the stage for its 1962 premiere tracks extraordinary twists and turns across the backdrop of the civil rights movement. A variety of colorful characters, from Broadway impresarios to gang-connected managers, surface in the compelling storyline. During the Cold War, the US State Department enlisted some of America's greatest musicians to serve as jazz ambassadors, touring the world to trumpet a so-called "free society." Honored as celebrities abroad, the jazz ambassadors, who were overwhelmingly African Americans, returned home to racial discrimination and deferred dreams. The Brubecks used this double standard as the central message for the musical, deploying humor and pathos to share perspectives on American values. On September 23, 1962, The Real Ambassadors's stunning debut moved a packed arena at the Monterey Jazz Festival to laughter, joy, and tears. Although critics unanimously hailed the performance, it sadly became a footnote in cast members' bios. The enormous cost of reassembling the star-studded cast made the creation impossible to stage and tour. However, The Real Ambassadors: Dave and Iola Brubeck and Louis Armstrong Challenge Segregation caps this jazz story by detailing how the show was triumphantly revived in 2014 by Jazz at Lincoln Center. This reaffirmed the musical's place as an integral part of America's jazz history and served as an important reminder of how artists' voices are a powerful force for social change"--

Series Statement

American made music series

Uniform Title

American made music series.

Subject

Genre/Form

Criticism, interpretation, etc.
History.

Bibliography (note)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Foreword -- Prologue -- Meet the Brubecks -- Words and music -- Becoming jazz ambassadors -- Finding a producer -- Joe Glaser -- Standing up to segregation -- Securing Satchmo -- Gatheriing momentum -- A promising proposal: "The real ambassadors" in London -- Recording "The real ambassadors" -- The most expensive demo ever made -- Messengers of change -- The road to Monterey -- A night to remember -- Reception and reactions -- Rediscovering "The real ambassadors" -- Epilogue.

Call Number

Sc E 22-831

ISBN

9781496837776
1496837770
9781496837844
1496837843

LCCN

2021049367

OCLC

1250306655
1250306655

Author

Hatschek, Keith, author.

Title

The real ambassadors : Dave and Iola Brubeck and Louis Armstrong challenge segregation / Keith Hatschek ; foreword by Yolande Bavan.

Publisher

Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, [2022]

Copyright Date

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

American made music series

American made music series.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chronological Term

1900-1999

Added Author

Bavan, Yolande, writer of foreword.

Other Form:

Online version: Hatschek, Keith. Real ambassadors Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, 2022 9781496837790 (DLC) 2021049368

Research Call Number

Sc E 22-831

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