Paul Whiteman Denies"Jazz"; Plays "Syncopated Rhythm" By PAUL WHITEMAN
"The time has come to have an understanding about this jazz business.In the last two years, ministers, propagandists and reformers have talked so much about the 'jazz age' and its demoralizing influence it is a little disconcerting to wake up one fine morning and find headlines acclaiming one 'King of Jazz.' That is what happened to me not long ago. Yet, my conscience is supremely clear, for the truth is that I have never played jazz and neither, to my knowledge, has any member of my band," said Paul whiteman while talking to a Variety reporter.
"What we have played is 'syncopated rhythm,' quite another thing.And our orchestrations have always been worked out with all the color and beauty of symphonies.That is not to say that jazz does not exist. It has its own definite place in today's musical world, but I doubt if it has committed the crimes that are constantly being listed to its account.To show the difference between jazz and symphonic syncopation, I am planning a concert at Aeolian Hall on Lincoln's Birthday.At that time, we shall make an attempt to classify American music, separating our type of orchestrations from the jazz which relies for its effects upon 'sour music.'The heads of music departments in some of the big universities have become interested and will attend rehearsals so that we can get the "classical side" of the question.A number of the accepted popular composers will also cooperate to bring about a real scientific experiment and some will write compositions especially for the occasion.Victor Herbert, for instance, will do an American suite, George Gershwin a jazz concerto,and Irving Berlin a syncopated tone poem. A Metropolitan opera star will give a classical interpretation of popular music and then some of our 'coon-shouters' will sing to show the difference between syncopation and jazz. Music critics of the metropolitan papers will be guests at the event."
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