"Which leads me to the same conclusion that mainstream American [USA] society would have been {and probably still is to a lesser degree] unwilling to confer the title of King of Jazz on a Black man."

Mainstream America does not listen to Jazz.

Neither is mainstream America qualified to confer such titles.

Mainstream America has nothing to do with it.

Though it should be pointed out that the most loved Jazz musicians by mainstream America are Miles Davis (Kind of Blue) and before him Louis Armstrong.

There is a title of first lady which goes to Ella Fitzgerald.

In a political context, I agree wholeheartedly that Creoles are included in the category of Black/African Americans as they suffered the same indignities and were afforded the same status by their oppressors.

However, we are not talking politics here, we are talking cultural influence and geneological background, and in that respect Creoles were a mixture of cultural ingredients.

Sydney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton were Creole. Louis Armstrong was African American.

They are very much seen as the founding fathers of Jazz.

The blue note is indeed African of origin, but the Chord theory is European. There are other ingredients too that distinguish Jazz from having an African root in the same way that Blues definitely does.

Jazz without chord theory is like a house without bricks.

The subsequent evolution of Jazz includes, not additional, but essential input from white musicians. There are some Jazz commentators who suggest that white musicians were merely participating in a black artform. This is an utter untruth.

From Biderbeck to Brubeck white Jazzers have played alongside their Black brothers in perfect harmony and advanced the depth of Jazz in an essential way.

Comments regarding race within Jazz are generally made by those outside it.

Miles Davis chose Bill Evans because he was doing something new and "Down" - he didn't care whether he was white Black or blue - though he clearly decided that at the very least he was "kind of blue".

Some of the Black audiences they played for didn't take kindly to this freeloader riding into town on "their" music, but the reality is that Jazz, unlike other artforms, was owned by its performers not by its patrons.

Jazz musicians didn't care about all that, and those from the 30's and 40's who I have met could teach some of our "enlightened" youngsters a thing or two about respect for men and women of other cultures and regardless of their origin or appearance on a deep level of understanding and with a passion of genuine feeling that would be enough to make you feel truly enriched.

They were friends with the artists who were told to leave through the kitchen door and were hurt by the indignities they witnessed and would have undoubtedly been in the ranks that marched aginst the system.

Whiteman did indeed give himself that title and that fact is as important to jazz as he was ... not very... except insofar as he was a good salesman.