Satchmo Blows Up the World: Jazz Ambassadors Play the Cold War

According to history professor Von Eschen, at a time when the cultural contributions of black Americans were being derided, the U.S. State Department found it useful to send luminaries of jazz music into the world as ambassadors, preceding covert actions in Europe and Africa. In this exploration of the significance of jazz as a propaganda tool during the cold war era, Von Eschen looks at how this phenomenon was reflected in the domestic civil rights movement. Using Louis Armstrong, "Satchmo," as her focus, she recounts privately sponsored international tours that provoked tensions and debates within the State Department. Opponents saw blacks and their creations of jazz and gospel as culturally inferior, while proponents argued that jazz was representative of America at its best and the tours were useful in advancing domestic and overseas agendas. This book puts fresh light on jazz, Satchmo, and the civil rights era.