• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

“SOUNDS FOR ADVENTUROUS LISTENERS”: WILLIS CONOVER, THE VOICE OF AMERICA, AND THE INTERNATIONAL RECEPTION OF AVANT-GARDE JAZZ IN THE 1960S Mark A. Breckenridge, B.M., M.M., M.M.E. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2012 APPROVED: John P. Murphy, Major Professor and Interim Director of Graduate Studies in Music Eileen M. Hayes, Minor Professor and Chair of the Division of Music History, Theory, and Ethnomusicology Mark McKnight, Committee Member Ana Alonso-Minutti, Committee Member James C. Scott, Dean of the College of Music Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Breckenridge, Mark A., “Sounds for Adventurous Listeners”: Willis Conover, the Voice of America, and the International Reception of Avant-garde Jazz in the 1960s. Doctor of Philosophy (Musicology), August 2012, 315 pp., 27 figures, bibliography, 189 titles. In “Sounds for Adventurous Listeners,” I argue that Conover’s role in the dissemination of jazz through the Music USA Jazz Hour was more influential on an educational level than what literature on Conover currently provides. Chapter 2 begins with an examination of current studies regarding the role of jazz in Cold War diplomacy, the sociopolitical implications of avant-garde jazz and race, the convergence of fandom and propaganda, the promoter as facilitator of musical trends, and the influence of international radio during the Cold War. In chapter 3 I introduce the Friends of Music USA Newsletter and explain its function as a record of overseas jazz reception and a document that cohered a global network of fans. I then focus on avant-garde debates of the 1960s and discuss Conover’s role overseas and in the United States. Chapter 4 engages social purpose and jazz criticism in the 1960s. I discuss Conover’s philosophy on social responsibility, and how his contributions intersected with other relevant discourses on race on the eve of the civil rights movement. I argue that Conover embodied two personas: one as jazz critic and promoter in the United States, and the other as an international intermediary. In chapter 5 I discuss how Conover presented the avant-garde to his overseas audience. I argue that through his efforts to broadcast jazz impartially, he legitimized avant-garde and emphasized its qualities as art music. In chapter 6 I explore fandom studies as they apply to the formation of Music USA as a global fan network. I discuss the early roots of Conover’s interest in science fiction fandom as a motivation for the implementation of the Friends of Music USA (FOMUSA) groups. Chapter 7 concludes in a discussion of the deification of Conover though the medium of radio in the midst of the Cold War. I argue that, through manipulation of sound resources, Conover composed his broadcasts in a way that allowed him to improvise creatively. Finally, I discuss the effect of a radio personality on crowds and the impact of Conover’s music programming in light of studies concerning deejays as objects of devotion. Copyright 2012 by Mark A. Breckenridge ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My efforts toward completion of this project would not have been possible without the help of many colleagues, friends, and mentors. Firstly, I am greatly indebted to Dr. John Murphy, my main advisor, for his patience, enthusiasm, clearly organized direction, and reliable guidance throughout each stage of this process. I wish to thank the members of my committee for providing a distinctive viewpoint with which to evaluate and strengthen my dissertation. Thank you, Dr. Mark McKnight, for overseeing the editing process and for assisting in my first foray into archival research. Thank you, Dr. Ana Alonso-Minutti, for tirelessly providing valuable feedback and insight throughout the research and editing processes. Thank you Dr. Eileen Hayes for your insightful comments in this project. I am also deeply indebted to Andrew Justice, Morris Martin, and the staff at the University of North Texas Music Library for providing assistance with the materials in the Willis Conover Collection and for cultivating a supportive research atmosphere. I thank my supportive colleagues and friends at the University of North Texas College of Music for their comradeship and guidance. Your achievements on both a personal and professional level have motivated and inspired me. .. I owe a sincere debt of gratitude to my parents, Gordon and Kaye Breckenridge for unwavering support of my aspirations and achievements throughout the years. Finally, I wish to thank my fiancée Stephanie Burgess for her continual inspiration, friendship, and encouragement. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 CONOVER, JAZZ DIPLOMACY AND THE FRIENDS OF MUSIC USA ......... 4 Current Studies on Jazz, the Cold War, and Willis Conover .............................................. 8 Thesis, Methodology, and Primary Sources ..................................................................... 32 CHAPTER 3 CONOVER’S INFLUENCE IN THE GLOBAL CANONIZATION OF JAZZ .. 38 The Friends of Music USA Newsletter.............................................................................. 40 Conover’s Two-Category Structure: Popular Music and Jazz .......................................... 46 Trends and Changes in the Music USA Jazz Hour Recording Schedules ......................... 55 Defining Avant-Garde ...................................................................................................... 64 Conover as a Non-Musician.............................................................................................. 85 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 103 CHAPTER 4 CONOVER, SOCIAL PURPOSE, AND THE LEGITIMIZATION OF JAZZ . 106 Black Artists Bring Their Own Agendas Overseas ........................................................ 111 Religious Epiphany: Jazz Criticism and Social Responsibility ...................................... 113 Conover and Race Debates ............................................................................................. 116 Jazz in the University ...................................................................................................... 131 Racism and the VOA ...................................................................................................... 139 Conover’s Two Personas ................................................................................................ 141 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 142 CHAPTER 5 THE EMERGENCE OF NEW THING ON CONOVER’S MUSIC USA ........... 145 The United States Information Agency and the Avant-Garde ........................................ 146 Critics and the Avant-Garde ........................................................................................... 149 Avant-Garde Jazz as an Instructing Tool on Music USA ................................................ 151 The VOA Charter in 1960............................................................................................... 156 New Thing, New Criticism, and Black Cultural Identity ............................................... 158 iv Continuing Dialogue from ‘Friends’ Regarding Avant-Garde Jazz ............................... 163 Conover and Jim Todd: A Debate about Framework ..................................................... 179 Opinions on Conover’s Musical Tastes from His Contemporaries ................................ 182 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 184 CHAPTER 6 CONOVER’S MUSIC USA, FANDOM, AND SOCIAL IDENTITY............... 186 The Friends of Music USA Newsletter: An International Jazz Fanzine .......................... 186 “Unseen Friends”: Conover and the Science Fantasy Correspondent ........................... 188 Music USA Jazz Hour Fans as Out-groups ..................................................................... 191 Conover as an Alienated Youth ...................................................................................... 192 A Shared Reclusiveness .................................................................................................. 193 Conover and Nictzin Dyalhis .............................................................................. 194 Conover and Howard Phillips Lovecraft ............................................................ 195 Conover and Duke Ellington .............................................................................. 196 Conover’s Finances: The Cosmos Club .......................................................................... 202 Conover as Autonomous, Independent Contractor ......................................................... 204 Sun Ra and The Arkestra in 1968 ................................................................................... 213 “Sounds for Adventurous Listeners”: Sun Ra on the Music USA Jazz Hour ................. 217 Conover’s “Guide to Broadcasting the Music of Sun Ra” ............................................

Load more

  324

Copy Link