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Harlem Nights

Name: Harlem Nights
Brand: Melbourne University Publishing
Price: 48.99 AUD
Availability: BackOrder

The Secret History of Australia's Jazz Age

By: Dierdre O'Connell

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Paperback | 2 November 2021 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

Paperback
426 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
2.5 x 15.4 x 23.3

Paperback

RRP $49.49

$48.99

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Available for Backorder. We will order this from our supplier however there isn't a current ETA.

The untold story of race and power in Australia's Jazz Age

The 1920s were a time of wonder and flux, when Australians sensed a world growing smaller, turning faster - and, for some, skittering off balance. American movies, music and dance brought together what racial lines kept apart. A spirit of youthful rebellion collided with the promise of racial perfectibility, stirring deep anxieties in white nationalists and moral reformers. African-American jazz represented the type of modernism that cosmopolitan Australians craved - and the champions of White Australia feared.

Enter Sonny Clay's Colored Idea. Snuck in under the wire by an astute promoter, the Harlem-style revue broke from the usual blackface minstrel fare, delivering sophisticated, liberating rhythms. The story of their Australian tour is a tale of conspiracy - a secret plan to kick out and keep out 'undesirable' expressions of modernism, music and race. From the wild jazz clubs of Prohibition-era LA to Indigenous women discovering a new world of black resistance, this anatomy of a scandal-fuelled frame-up brings into focus a vibrant cast of characters from Australia's Jazz Age.

About the Author

Deirdre O'Connell is a historian, teacher and author of The Ballad of Blind Tom. She has a background in environmental journalism and music documentary and lives in the Blue Mountains on Gundungurra land.

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