A Jazz Incubator in Nebraska’s North Omaha
Originally published in No Depression, April 2021.
The Jewell Building in North Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo via Ammodram / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain)
When most people think of big-band jazz, they’re probably thinking of glittery urban scenes in the Roaring ’20s. They’re thinking art deco dancehalls and Prohibition-era speakeasies. There’s something about the idea of a brassy jazz band that evokes imagery of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York City.
But there’s so much more to the story. One of the most vibrant and industrious jazz scenes in America built itself from the ground up right in the heart of the country in Omaha, Nebraska.