Table of Contents
Introduction vii
Book 1 (1899-1923) A Nothin' But a Child
1 Don't Cry, Ma 3
2 Not Too Far Tangent 20
3 The Band House, The Band House 34
4 Quit Foolin' with That Comb 47
Book 2 (1923-1928) Chicago, Chicago
5 They Found the Body in a Ditch 63
6 Them First Kicks Are a Killer 74
7 Tea Don't Do You That Way 91
8 Got the Heebies, Got the Jeebies 111
9 Forgottenest Man in Town 148
Book 3 (1928-1935) The Big Apple
10 If You Can't Make Money 189
11 Vo-do-de-o and a Minsky Pizzicato 202
12 Tell a Green Man Something 220
13 Once More, Again, and Another Time 249
14 Tough Scuffle, Mezzie 260
15 Crawl' fore You Can Walk 277
Book 4 (1935-?) Basin Street Is The Street
16 God Sure Don't Like Ugly 299
17 Out of the Gallion 317
Appendices
1 New Orleans and Chicago: the Root and the Branch 357
2 Translation of the Jive Section 373
3 A Note on the Panassié Recordings 381
4 Glossary 392
Afterword 402
Index 421