Today, young people who have an excessive yen for craft beers, retro clothes and hats, and restaurants in far-off parts of town are commonly referred to as "hipsters." It's not a bad thing to be a hipster, but the word is often unfairly used to typecast those who seem too cool for school. Today, hipsters are often the ones who add life and revenue to down-and-out neighborhoods and start eateries, clubs and galleries there, too. Most hipsters are passionate, gentle folk who are about music and life, which is a good thing.
But hipsters are nothing new to the social landscape. This type of eccentric cool cat has been around for some time. Perhaps the first was Harry "the Hipster" Gibson, a jazz pianist and songwriter who died in 1991. Between 1939 and 1945, he played often at the New York's Three Deuces on 52nd St. He was a cross between a serious jazz musician and a bop entertainer. Much of his routine was inspired by larger-than-life artist-entertainers who preceded him, including Cab Calloway. Let's have a look at Harry the Hipster:
Here's the Hipster in 1944 playing Piano Boogie Jump...
Here's the Hipster again in '44...
Here he is in 1946 from the movie Junior Prom...
If some of the Hipster's hysteria seems familiar to you, you may be thinking of this guy some 15 years later...
from JazzWax http://ift.tt/2f3HCG5
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