"Gigs: Jazz and the Cabaret Laws in NYC" by Paul Chevigny

[BeBop]

This has been an interesting read.  It's a review of cabaret law history, with journeys into coffeehouses, zoning laws, permits, police, vibraphones, the Mitchell-Ruff duo, numerous clubs and neighborhoods and Local 802, 1926-1990.  I had kind of a half-a**ed understanding of cabaret laws and cards from tales of jazz in the 40s and 50s (mainly), but both the history and the details are interesting.  By the time I got to New York (1979), a few of the most draconian measures had been tempered, but trio and "incidental music" battles continued, so the perspective is enlightening.  Chevigny is an attorney who worked to change circumstances in the late 1980s.  He's also a jazz guy, so the perspective stays on that genre (as opposed to, say, folk and disco that lived a different experience).   Recommended if you really want to understand stuff.

Edited September 12, 2015 by BeBop