Earliest Jazz "monarchs" in New Orleans
The practice of affixing honorific titles to the names of jazz musicians goes back to New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, before the genre was commonly known as "jazz". Cornetist Buddy Bolden was popularly known as "King Bolden".
The realization that such titles had commercial or public relations values that increased popularity also dates to this era. Violinist and bandleader Alex Watzke, observing Bolden's popularity, started billing himself as "King Watzke", and paid children to publicly point at him as he walked down the street and say "There goes King Watzke". While he succeeded in acquiring the title for himself, some fellow musicians used it more with amusement than with the respect accorded to Bolden. After Bolden was institutionalized in 1907, his "crown" was taken by Freddie Keppard who, in turn, "ruled" until 1914 when Joe Oliver took over the title.
Joe Oliver left New Orleans in 1919. Some later writers have assumed that the trumpet crown at that time went to Oliver's protégé Louis Armstrong, but Armstrong and his contemporaries made no such claim. Armstrong had a powerful rival in Buddie Petit, whom many ranked higher than young Armstrong in the period of 1919-1922. Neither billed themselves as "king". Oliver was known as "King Oliver" in Chicago, and was still regarded as the jazz king as late as 1925, when Louis Armstrong returned to Chicago from New York City. Armstrong's great respect and affection for Oliver was probably a factor in never claiming Oliver's kingship, although at the urging of his wife Lil Hardin Armstrong, Louis Armstrong was billed as the "world's greatest jazz trumpeter", rendering Oliver's title more ceremonial than a claim of supremacy.
Meanwhile in New York City in the 1920s, Paul Whiteman controversially began billing himself as the "King of Jazz". His nationally popular band with many hit records arguably played more jazz-influenced popular music than jazz per se, but to the dismay of many later jazz fans, Whiteman's self-conferred moniker stuck, and a motion picture The King of Jazz starring Whiteman and his band appeared in 1930. The "King of Jazz" title was a publicity stunt in 1923, by a musical instrument manufacturer that Whiteman endorsed, and Whiteman's publicists used it to good measure.
Jelly Roll Morton wrote an anthem to himself called "Mr. Jelly Lord" though surprisingly didn't bill himself "Mr. Jelly Lord." He was also one of many jazz musicians annoyed by Whiteman's claim, and had enough bravado to challenge it, by billing his band as "The Kings of Jazz" In 1924, the title never caught on.
Read more about this topic: Jazz Royalty
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