The age of jazz in Britain

What was the public reaction to jazz when it began to appear in Britain in the aftermath of the First World War? What did early jazz sound like and how did British musicians learn to play in the style? How did British artists and designers react to the new rhythms and colours of the music? This lecture explores how jazz arrived in Britain and the impact that it had on musicians, artists and the wider public.

Lecturer: Catherine Tackley  – Professor Catherine Tackley is a musicologist specialising in jazz. She was Head of the Department of Music at the University of Liverpool, UK from 2016-2022 and is now working on a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship project on British Dance Bands. She has written two books – The Evolution of Jazz in Britain: c.1880-1935 and Benny Goodman’s Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert