Starting twenty years ago in New Orleans, it has swept from coast to coast and is invading Europe — Exponents in bitter dispute as to origin — Broadway historian settles question

Mr. Kingsley is the most profound authority on jazz, which has swept over this country and is now invading Europe. Maurice is now teaching the shimmy dance in Paris to Jazz music to French pupils. Mr. Kingsley has interviewed every artist of the Keith circuits who might have been by way of picking up any information on the subject, and they have brought back to the Palace Theatre much light on a topic that has mystified the lighter musical authorities. The importance of “jazz” may be understood from the degree to which it has supplanted the earlier and simpler syncopation we knew as ragtime.