Although I have never been a fan of Paul Whiteman, an interest in early jazz and the contemporary music of the 1920s has brought him to my attention again. The very idea of Whiteman as the "King of Jazz" is absurd, especially when one compares his music to his contemporaries of New York, New Orleans, and Chicago "hot" jazz in of the era. But, there is a sense of tight arrangements and interesting musical elements to Whiteman's music. It's also important to contextualize early jazz by looking at other popular music of the time. So, why not explore dance band music of the 20s and see to what extent Whiteman really was a key figure in the history of the genre?
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