{"product_id":"stalebread-and-the-razzy-dazzy-spasm-band-an-origin-story-of-jazz-in-new-orleans-9781958727881","title":"Stalebread and the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band: An Origin Story of Jazz in New Orleans","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the heart of 1890s New Orleans, where music spilled from every street corner, a group of boys with paper-and-comb instruments, a homemade bass fiddle, and more energy than resources began to draw crowds. They called themselves the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the center was Emile \"Stalebread\" Lacoume-barefoot, determined, and already a talented musician. After the early death of his father, Emile became a newsboy to help support his family. But it was music that truly carried him. Inspired by the Mexican and Creole rhythms he heard around him, Emile and his friends started making music out of whatever they could find: cigar boxes, stovepipes, tin cans, and dreams.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eStalebread and the Razzy Dazzy Spasm Band\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e tells the vivid, often overlooked story of one of jazz's early pioneers. Drawing on newspaper accounts, archival interviews, and local legends, Michael Shurtz traces Emile's journey from street performer to respected musician, even playing for high-society parties and at the infamous Mahogany Hall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePart cultural history, part character study, this is a story about invention, survival, and the beginnings of a new sound in a changing city. Through hard times, segregation, and the uncertain future of early jazz, Emile's story reminds us how creativity and community can make music out of almost anything.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Genius Book Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/07\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781958727881\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 308\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.67lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.65d","brand":"Michael Shurtz","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52360451096757,"sku":"9781958727881","price":16.96,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_eff84bd6-3289-4426-a0be-df9992d123b9.jpg?v=1773721009","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/stalebread-and-the-razzy-dazzy-spasm-band-an-origin-story-of-jazz-in-new-orleans-9781958727881","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}