Q, you wrote that "England is generally accepted as the place of origin of the term, which did not appear in "Downbeat" until 1939."

My response is that while the jury may still be on where this meaning of "gig" was first coined, I believe there is less doubt about who coined and who popularized that meaning. And I admit, that coining a term and popularizing the same term are two separate things. I also realize that it is easier to document who popularized a word than who coined it.


However, if England is indeed the place of origin for "gig" used to mean "an engagement for a musician or musicians playing jazz, dance-music, etc., spec. a 'one-night stand; also the place of such a performance.", that doesn't negate the view that African American jazz musicians were the source of the word with that meaning.

There is historical documentation of performances by African American jazz musicians/singers in England just as there is historical documentation of African American religious groups such as Fisk Jubilee singers performing there.

So is this a big deal? No not really. But too often we {African Americans} don't get credit for our cultural contributions.

I'm not saying that was {is}your intent, Q, but some people might take your comment to mean that.

Peace,

Azizi