The Bebop Scene in London's Soho, 1945-1950

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Focusing on the bebop subculture in London's Soho from 1945 to 1950, this book explores the complex interplay of race, class, and gender in shaping bebop identities. Through extensive archival research, it highlights the evolution of the scene in local clubs, the associated fashion, and the drug culture, alongside the moral panic that led to police raids. The narrative also examines the broader cultural shifts in Soho during the 1950s, arguing that the bebop experience foreshadows ongoing institutional challenges faced by black cultural spaces in later decades.