Russia: Far-Out Dzhaz

Soviet Russia blows hot and cold on the subject of jazz—but never cool. Insisting that jazz came up the river from Odessa long before it made its Mississippi passage, Soviet authorities three years ago began relaxing the ban against Dixieland and swing. As a result, such dated numbers as When the Saints Go Marchin In and Sixteen Tons are now popular in Russia. Yet the Soviet music masters could not bring themselves to permit Russian musicians to play kholodny or cool dzhaz—the progressive sound of Thelonious Monk and Stan Getz, much admired by many Russians who hear it on...

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