The Nazi propaganda ministry, from Berlin, produced and distributed excellent quality jazz during the war, to accompany the propaganda tirades of a radio destined for England and later also for America. It was called Germany calling, the broadcasts were hosted by William Joyce, a pro-Nazi Irishman who had taken refuge in Germany, nicknamed Lord Haw Haw by English newspapers; and despite the threatening outbursts, the music was not at all unpleasant to the British public.
The paradox, if one can speak of a paradox, is in the fact that jazz, a “degenerate” art, was prohibited in Germany and in the occupied countries, even if not explicitly by law, and naturally banned from all radio stations and from recording industry.
That of Germany calling, or the musical group «Charlie and His Orchestra», also known as «Mr. Goebbels Jazz Band”, “Templin band” and “Bruno and His Swinging Tigers” was a sort of political exception, secret but not too secretive, and equally confidentially able to insinuate itself into the cabarets of wartime Berlin frequented by high-ranking Nazi leaders: almost a esoteric cult, which involved some risks, of course, and a lot of fear for possible calls to arms or deportations, changes in mood or internal struggles within power; but it was meanwhile a free zone. German but also Italian musicians played in the orchestra, and someone with Jewish origins, who managed to escape while hiding there.
The way of proceeding and composing was typical of war propaganda: covers of well-known American songs were made, and the lyrics were often replaced with others written by the ministry of programming where the “Jewish conspiracy” was evoked or Churchill and Roosevelt were mocked .
It should be added that the music was excellent, in the great jazz tradition that flourished during the Weimar Republic, with the result that the radio was apparently listened to a lot and was discussed openly in the newspapers. As a propaganda tool it had no effect in any case: perhaps because, judging by what is happening today, i
Nazis despite their madness at least in this sector were still a little naive.
The story is known in Germany, less so in the rest of the world. Now he tells it to us in a funny and bizarre novel – but not without a tragic sense – a Swiss-German author, Damian Lienhard, coming out (mid-month) by Bollati Boringhieri, entitled «Mr Goebbels’ jazz band» (translation by Cristina Vezzaro): who makes this historical material a respectful and fantastic use at the same time.
The characters and their lives are all true and documented (except one), the invention instead lies above all in the context and structure of the narrative, which makes it a novel a clef or in sections, using the tool of the rediscovered manuscript. It also tells us, as an aside to the narrative, how the story really ended.
The orchestra worked until the end of the war and the defeat of the Reich, and many of its members passed without problems from the secret recording rooms of Berlin and Stuttgart to the places where the American soldiers entertained themselves: who, as true connoisseurs, were enthusiastic about listen to jazz musicians unknown to them but so good.
It seems like a story with a happy ending (not for the radio entertainer, Lord Haw Haw who was hanged in London for high treason) but let’s not forget that the Nazis made dark and violent use of music in general, for example with orchestras organized in the extermination camps. Before drawing hasty conclusions, it is better to read Lienhard’s book. Not much left.