Bebop and the Recording Industry: The 1942 AFM Recording Ban Reconsidered

The transition between two important stylistic phases of jazz, "swing" and "bebop," occurred during the early 1940s-the very years affected by the ban on recording called by the American Federation of Musicians in 1942. This study examines the relationship between jazz and the recording industry during this period, emphasizing the factors affecting the selection of repertory for recording. In particular, the rise of numerous independent recording companies in the wake of the settlement of the ban provided an environment conducive to the preservation and dissemination of the new bebop style.