Gigs: Jazz and the Cabaret Laws in New York City (Routledge Series in Law, Society and Popular Culture)

Gigs provides a fascinating account of a unique victory for musicians against repressive entertainment licensing laws. It provides a much-needed study of the social, political, cultural and legal conditions surrounding a change in law and public attitudes toward vernacular music in New York City. This second edition includes a new preface by Hamish Birchall and an introduction by the series editors, Guy Osborn and Steve Greenfield, as well as an afterword by the author, and it will be essential reading for all those interested in the history of social attitudes toward the popular arts and the use of constitutional litigation for social change. BOOK COVER......Page 1 HALF-TITLE......Page 2 TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 DEDICATION......Page 6 CONTENTS......Page 8 SERIES EDITOR’S PREFACE......Page 10 FOREWORD......Page 13 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 22 INTRODUCTION......Page 24 CHAPTER 1. PRELUDE......Page 31 CHAPTER 2. THE MUSICIANS UNION......Page 37 CHAPTER 3. THE MUSIC IN THE CLUBS......Page 47 CHAPTER 4. REGULATION AS DENIGRATION......Page 55 CHAPTER 5. THE CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE THE LAW: LOST IN THE LABYRINTH......Page 70 CHAPTER 6. THE CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE THE LAW: FREE EXPRESSION......Page 83 CHAPTER 7. THE PROCESS OF CHANGE......Page 99 CHAPTER 8. THE LIVES OF MUSICIANS......Page 112 CHAPTER 9. CONCLUSION: POLITICS, LAW AND MUSIC......Page 120 CHART OF NEW YORK CITY CABARET LICENSING AND ZONING 1917–1990......Page 129 AFTERWORD......Page 130 NOTES ON SOURCES......Page 132 NOTES......Page 136 INDEX......Page 151 "This book provides an account of a unique victory for musicians against repressive entertainment licensing laws. It provides a much-needed study of the social, political, cultural and legal conditions surrounding a change in law and public attitudes toward vernacular music in New York City." "This book will be essential reading for all those interested in the history of social attitudes toward the popular arts and the use of constitutional litigation for social change."--Jacket