“Symphonised Syncopation”

This chapter focuses on Whiteman’s 1923 and 1926 performance tours to the United Kingdom where he appeared in both cabarets and major concert halls, divergent venues that shaped aesthetic evaluations of his music. Whiteman’s UK performances fueled controversies concerning American bands displacing native talent and were met by opposition from the Musicians’ Union. The chapter reveals the impact of Whiteman’s brand of “symphonised syncopation” on early British jazz musicians, such as Jack Hylton and the Savoy Orpheans. Whiteman’s European tours burnished his image back in the States, and his 1923 UK concerts may be viewed as direct precursors to his programming strategy for his 1924 Experiment in Modern Music concert, as he attempted to demonstrate an evolution from “noisy jazz” to his own refined style.