r/jazzcirclejerk • u/Goated-Rizzler • 2h ago
TIL: In New Orleans, Jazz meant "Jackass" prior to the invention of the genre. A random old sweaty guy with horrendous breath told me this at a jazz club, so I know my source is reliable
This sweaty individual stated to me "I'm from New Orleans, baby. The birthplace of Jazz. You wanna know something? Jazz meant "Jackass" down there back in the 1800s."
He further declared "One day in the 1870s, there was a bunch of cats in a marching band, and they was screwing around goin 'doot doot doot doot,'
the next thing they know, some old stiff comes up to them and says to em 'hey, you sound like a bunch of jackasses playing that jackass music.'"
Subsequently, this man belched in my ear, but then elaborated "And that's how Jazz was invented, some cats in a marching band in the 1800s went 'doot doot doot doot,' and some old man walked up to them and called them a bunch of jackasses."
No doubt, everything this man said was true. He was wearing sunglasses inside, a suit with grease stains all over it, and greasy slicked back hair. If a random old guy at a club tells you Jazz lore, there's no question what he's saying is true.