Chicago 50 - No. 23 - Where "All That Jazz" Came From

The song title, “All That Jazz” as become an everyday expression, used in conversations to mean “and everything else.” But do you know where that phrase came from? Sure its the title of the opening number in Kander & Ebb’s “Chicago,” and later the title of Fosse’s semiautobiographical film, but in interviews, lyricist Fred Ebb has revealed the true origin of the phrase! While he was researching the 1920, he was reading a book from Time-Life series “This Fabulous Century” on the 1920s. The chapter about that decade’s music was titled “All That Jazz,” and thus, a legacy was born.

When I (Lauryn) heard this, I rushed to my book shelf because I own that series! Sure enough, I opened the 1920s edition and got chills when I looked to see the exact point of inspiration for this iconic title. (view the book below!)

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From Colored Lights: Forty Years of Words and Music, Show Biz, Collaboration, and All That Jazz

Ebb: "I was in California when Bobby called. He was very pleasant, very loving, first asking me, 'Can I use the song title 'All That Jazz', for the movie? Because it's yours.' I said, 'Actually, it's not. I was reading one of the Time-Life book series, and there was a chapter entitled 'All That Jazz,' I took it from there. I didn't really invent it, Bob.' He was impressed with that and how I had always done that kind of thing ever since he had known me. He said, 'If there is a line that you take from some-body, you acknowledge it. I never do. The sincerest form of flattery is to steal.' He believed that, and when I look at the work he did, I can see that he often borrowed from other sources, vaudeville routines and so forth.