Jazz: Gay Men Jazz

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For most of s history, jazz has been a macho culture. Sexual ambiguy or gay-ns were subjects of risn.

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JAZZ: GAY MEN JAZZ

Sexual ambiguy or gay-ns were subjects of risn. As the rerr ran, my host—known for his fierce telligence and for the refement of his playg—kept referrg to “that faggot” who had produced a somewhat homoerotic documentary of the once-betiful tmpeter and sger. The jazz world is one of the last cultural ontiers of old-fashned macho, and , homophobia ns rampant.

Sce terviewg that pianist, I’ve met a multu of jazz figur who pri themselv on soulfulns and sensivy, yet are as sensive as rednecks on the subject of homosexualy—pecially s prence jazz, which is not nsirable. One saxophonist, a gay man his early 60s, sums up what he se as the persistg attu: “If you are gay, you nnot be playg this mic that requir you to have a much higher level of ttosterone.

” A veteran sger who has worked wh European big bands remembers walkg out on one of them, fur at beg “harassed” by homophobic slurs. “Gays are the last whippg post society, ” he says.

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Jazz: Gay Men Jazz.

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