Three Transnational Jazz Singers ( Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald): A Political History of Music

“Dr. Lefkovitz’s engaging analysis examines the ‘power compromises’ that effect three jazz celebrated singers on whom so much has been written…Facing stereotypes that perpetuate myths and inequalities, the performers each negotiate their way through to stardom…there is much here that is healthily contentious, but the arguments are backed by a wealth of references to the work of musicians of color…”
-Professor Richard Witts,
Edge Hill University,
Liverpool, England

“Most jazz histories focus on male musicians and their role in music. This book, on the other hand, focuses on female performers and jazz singers and their larger role in the racial and artistic cultures of the United States and abroad including their films which have been largely overlooked.”
-Professor Lewis Erenberg,
Professor Emeritus, Loyola University

“The research focus is intriguing: how did they deal with the discriminatory structures they encountered? How did they navigate within, develop a style, and succeed against the odds? What unique compromises did they make? Lefkovitz offers a thorough discussion of black female stereotypes in the mid- 19th century, exposing the finer points of visual and musical blackness as a fad and a problem, as undesirable yet fetishized… Given his analysis, one can better understand how prevailing racist attitudes and stereotypes still affect black female entertainers today.”
-Professor Ingrid H. Riedle,
Harold Washington College

Abstract
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1: Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, & Ella Fitzgerald’s Transnational Power Compromises
Josephine Baker’s Transnational Power Compromises
Billie Holiday’s Transnational Power Compromises
Ella Fitzgerald’s Transnational Power Compromises
Chapter 2: Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday, & Ella Fitzgerald’s Racial Power Compromises
Josephine Baker’s Racial Power Compromises
Billie Holiday’s Racial Power Compromises
Ella Fitzgerald’s Racial Power Compromises
Chapter 3: Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday & Ella Fitzgerald’s Global Gender Power Compromises
Josephine Baker’s Global Gender Power Compromises
Billie Holiday’s Global Gender Power Compromises
Ella Fitzgerald’s Global Gender Power Compromises
Chapter 4: Josephine Baker, Billie Holiday & Ella Fitzgerald’s Colonial Power Compromises
Josephine Baker’s Colonial Power Compromises
Billie Holiday’s Colonial Power Compromises
Ella Fitzgerald’s Colonial Power Compromises
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index