"JAZZ" WATER



I recently discovered about the "jazz" water of Fez, Morocco. Here's a

reposting of what I wrote here last year, from the OTHER Barbary Coast. This

is from the San Francisco Chronicle, 9 November 1919, pg. B7, col. 1:



BAND LEADER

SAYS JAZZ IS

PUBLIC DEMAND

Ensign Alfred J. Moore Tells

Why, Vox Populi Rules

in Music World

By THOMAS W. BAILY



NOAH WEBSTER, delineator of words and pronunciations, failed to mention

"jazz" in the early productions of his fertile brain. One or two

dictionaries of the less expensive kind contain such a thing, but the

majority of them do not. As a result, jazz is considered slang. Most likely

"pep" may be classified in a similar manner. However, both words are used to

advantage by persons who wish to express ginger and snap.

Art Hickman, of the St. Francis orchestra, once said that the word jazz

originated some time ago when the San Francisco Seals were training at Boyes

Springs. One member of the ball-tossing team commented on a stream of water

bubbling from the side of a bank, casting upon it the then unknown word,

"jazz" water. Then, as the little old world slowly moved around, one unit of

the nine urged a friend:

"Come on, George, show some jazz, willya!"

Then "jazz" sprang into being. At least, Hickman believes so. It

cannot be proven, however, so the argument on that score ends.

(...)



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