Deep Ellum: The Other Side of Dallas (John and Robin Dickson Series in Texas Music, sponsored by the Center for Texas Music History, Texas State University)

Deep Ellum, On The Eastern Edge Of Downtown Dallas, Retains Its Character As An Alternative To The City S Staid Image With Loft Apartments, Art Galleries, Nightclubs, And Tattoo Shops. It First Sprang Up As A Ramshackle Business District With Saloons And Variety Theatres And Evolved, During The Early Decades Of The Twentieth Century, Into A Place Where The Black And White Worlds Of Dallas Converged. This Book Strips Away Layers Of Myth To Illuminate The Cultural Milieu That Spawned Such Seminal Blues And Jazz Musicians As Blind Lemon Jefferson, Buster Smith, And T-bone Walker And That Was Also An Incubator For The Growth Of Western Swing. Expanding Upon The Original 1998 Publication, This Texas A&m University Press Edition Offers New Research On Deep Ellum S Vital Cross-fertilization Of White And Black Musical Styles, Many Additional Rare Historical Photographs, And An Updated Account Of The Area In The Early Years Of The Twenty-first Century. Deep Ellum: Fact And Fiction -- Deep Elem Blues: Song Of The Street -- The Railroads Create Deep Ellum -- William Sidney Pittman: Architect Of Deep Ellum -- Black Dallas -- Jewish Pawnbrokers And Merchants Of Deep Ellum -- Blind Lemon Jefferson: Downhome Blues -- The Contemporaries Of Blind Lemon -- Blind Willie Johnson And Arizona Dranes: The Holy Blues Of Deep Ellum -- Alex Moore: Dallas Piano Blues -- Buster Smith: Dallas Jazz Goes To Kansas City And New York -- Marvin Montgomery: The Cross-fertilization Of White And Black Musical Styles -- The Contemporaries Of Marvin Montgomery: Western Swing, Texas Fiddling, And The Big D Jamboree -- Benny Binion: Gambling And The Policy Racket -- Deep Ellum's Just Too Doggone Slow: Decline And Rebirth. Alan Govenar And Jay Brakefield. Previously Published Under Title: Deep Ellum And Central Track. Denton, Tex. : University Of North Texas Press, 1998. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [281]-288) And Index. Deep Ellum, on the eastern edge of downtown Dallas, retains its character as an alternative to the city's staid image with loft apartments, art galleries, nightclubs, and tattoo shops. It first sprang up as a ramshackle business district with saloons and variety theatres and evolved, during the early decades of the twentieth century, into a place where the black and white worlds of Dallas converged. This book strips away layers of myth to illuminate the cultural milieu that spawned such seminal blues and jazz musicians as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Buster Smith, and T-Bone Walker and that was also an incubator for the growth of western swing. Expanding upon the original 1998 publication, this Texas A&M University Press edition offers new research on Deep Ellum's vital cross-fertilization of white and black musical styles, many additional rare historical photographs, and an updated account of the area in the early years of the twenty-first century. ALAN GOVENAR is an author, folklorist, photographer, and filmmaker, living in Dallas. His recent titles include Everyday Music, Jasper, The Community Photographs of Alonzo Jordan, Lightnin' His Life and Blues, and Texas The Rise of a Contemporary Sound. JAY BRAKEFIELD is a career journalist, freelance writer, and editor. He lives in Bryan, Texas. Contents 6 Preface 8 Introduction 14 Chapter 1. “Deep Elem Blues”: Song of the Street 30 Chapter 2. The Railroads Create Deep Ellum 43 Chapter 3. William Sidney Pittman: Architect of Deep Ellum 50 Chapter 4. Black Dallas 58 Chapter 5. Jewish Pawnbrokers and Merchants of Deep Ellum 79 Chapter 6. Blind Lemon Jefferson: Downhome Blues 92 Chapter 7. The Contemporaries of Blind Lemon 119 Chapter 8. Blind Willie Johnson and Arizona Dranes: The 132 Chapter 9. Alex Moore: Dallas Piano Blues 141 Chapter 10. Buster Smith: Dallas Jazz Goes to Kansas City and New York 154 Chapter 11. Marvin Montgomery: The Cross-Fertilization of White and Black Musical Styles 171 Chapter 12. The Contemporaries of Marvin Montgomery: Western Swing, Texas Fiddling, and the Big “D” Jamboree 189 Chapter 13. Benny Binion: Gambling and the Policy Racket 205 Chapter 14. Deep Ellum’s Just Too Doggone Slow: Decline and Rebirth 217 Notes 232 Selected Discography 242 Bibliography 294 Index 302 Other titles in the John and Robin Dickson Series in Texas Music 321 Deep Ellum, on the eastern edge of downtown Dallas, retains its character as an alternative to the city s staid image with loft apartments, art galleries, nightclubs, and tattoo shops. It first sprang up as a ramshackle business district with saloons and variety theatres and evolved, during the early decades of the twentieth century, into a place where the black and white worlds of Dallas converged. This book strips away layers of myth to illuminate the cultural milieu that spawned such seminal blues and jazz musicians as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Buster Smith, and T-Bone Walker and that was also an incubator for the growth of western swing. Expanding upon the original 1998 publication, this Texas A & M University Press edition offers new research on Deep Ellum s vital cross-fertilization of white and black musical styles, many additional rare historical photographs, and an updated account of the area in the early years of the twenty-first century