Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s elitist humanism and multiculturalism in postwar rhythm and blues music

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article discusses the connection between the postwar Black-Jewish cooperation in popular music and American ethnic politics through the case study of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller – the successful duo R&B songwriters of the 1950s and early 1960s. These Jewish songwriters and music producers carried out some important historical work collaborating with Afro-American performers. The article discusses Leiber & Stoller’s contribution to postwar multiculturalism through a specific blend of elitist-humanism that relates to the politics of American Jews in the music industry as having much more subversive sensibilities than the academic discourse used to portray.