The Role of Blues and Jazz in Expressing the Experience - Research Paper Example

Blues and Jazz Music Introduction In the book ‘Invisible man’, Ellison’s narrator is mentioned to be listening to Louis Armstrong’s jazz records. This reminds the reader of the critical contribution of Armstrong in founding jazz music in America. The blues music category would later emerge as a sub-genre of jazz music. Blues and jazz music are music categories that focused on the themes of African Americans. Evidently, music was a central aspect of the African American culture. This paper will highlight the role of blues and jazz in expressing the experience of the African Americans. The epilogue and the first chapter of the book ‘invisible man’ serve as the basis for this research. Foundation of Jazz Music Jazz music emerged from African Americans in New Orleans As most music scholars would put it, jazz music was among the first American genres that influenced global music. In essence, many share the ideas that this form of music developed after the civil war especially in America (Clark 56). On the other hand, jazz musicians also used this music genre as a platform for advocating for civil rights and equality for the African American minority group. It was a subtle way of dealing with social injustices for which others considered as stereotyping since it mainly targeted those of white color. In essence, music serves as an avenue for communicating across one’s ignorance’s and hatreds hence connecting people for the betterment of the society. With this attribute in mind, many jazz musicians played their music for a purpose that was greater than entertainment but as a way of bringing unity for the oppressed. Ellison’s use of Jazz and Blues in the book ‘Invisible Man’ serves as a way of self-expression. The fact that jazz music began as a medium of expression among the black Americans, a racial group that defines the narrator’s ethnicity places emphasis on the feelings of the narrator in the underground hole, introduced to the reader in the epilogue and the prologue of the book. Jazz music emerged in the southern states, and the narrator comes from those states. Evidently, jazz music is the only form of expression for the narrator because race has made him an invisible man. Many jazz musicians were from the southern states and emerged to appreciate it as the only available means of defining their autonomy and individuality. This explains why the narrator chooses to listen to such music in his underground hole as he strived to peer deeper into the invisible man that he received little attention from the whites. Although many jazz artists were from New Orleans, this does not limit the themes to this location only. On the contrary, many African Americans formed the audience of those jazz artists because the themes expressed reflected the feelings and experience of all of them. Famous jazz artists included Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, John Carter, Wyntons Marsalis, and Wadada Leo Smith. All these artists expressed the feelings of African Americans. They made use of a variety of symphonies that defined their style of the mainstream African music (Clark 80). Jazz emerged at a time when the civil rights movement in America was operating under a compelling impetus. The popularity of jazz music was to contribute greatly to anti-racial themes. This is evident because the song ‘What did I do to be so’ that the narrator in ‘Invisible man’ listened to in the underground hole is a reflection of the sentiments harbored by many of the Black people against racism. Louis Armstrong had remixed the song to address the racism theme that was affecting the Africans Americans. It is worth noting that the emergence of jazz was a motivation of black people to extend their outcry against the institutionalization that slavery had caused. Jazz music formed one of the avenues through which African American could convey their quest for equal treatment. In addition, this was the period shortly after the world war and Africans demanded inclusion in all systems as equals to the blacks. The development of jazz music during such politically critical times explains why the new genre had immense political impact on the civil struggle in America. The preceding years before the emergence of jazz music presented black Americans with the stringent segregation rules under the Jim Crow policies. The Jim Crow policies are the reason why the Ellison titled his book, ‘Invisible man’. During the time when Jim Crow segregation pattern was stringent, African Americans faced extremes of mistreatment because and had no access to jobs, education, and medical health care used by whites. Young African Americans found the strength to refute the unfair treatment against racial divides that had prevailed for several decades. Previous genres of music had proven to the African Americans that music had the potential of being an avenue to convey political messages. The young African Americans responsible for the development of jazz sought to exploit the potential of music in communicating political messages (Clark 87). With this spirit, Louis Armstrong proved to be one of the young people who could sing songs that addressed anti-racial themes directly. Emergence of Blues The Renaissance music period was a period marked by the emergence of African Americans. After a long time of silence during the oppressive period that they faced, the Renaissance period opened up an opportunity of self-expression. Many of them explored forms of art that handled similar themes (Hayes and Williams 45). These themes highlighted the plight of the men of color. Although the African musicians exhibited some African characteristics, their music was a fusion of both African music attributes and some American attributes. Evidently, African Americans exhibited the musical nature of Africans, although the slavery system had compelled them to remain silent for many years. During the Renaissance period, African Americans took the initiative of expressing their grievances in America. This explains how the blues music emerged, as an emotional genre of music used by African American to express all sorts of feeling that resulted from slavery. In the book ‘Invisible man’, the narrator highlights the use of blues in self-expression in the epilogue (Callahan 56). Jazz artists and the themes they promoted a) Louis Armstrong In the epilogue in Ellison’s ‘Invisible man’, he mentions the significant contribution of Armstrong in the foundation of jazz music. As the narrator undertakes a self-reflection, he listens to Armstrong’s song ‘what did I did I do to be so’ which was one of the hits that this musician used to deliver his anti-racial sentiments. The fact that the author prefers to listen to the song with more phonographs reflects the intensity of the message delivered by Louis Armstrong in this song. The song reflects the double consciousness experienced by African Americans who had acquired attributes of the whites, but had not altered their skin color (Price et al 90). For instance, Louis Armstrong penetrated the American social circles through him playing jazz music to the disappointment of his brotherhood. He was of the idea that music was not for a particular race hence defying the odds of segregation that had deep roots in America Many of the African Americans wanted Louis Armstrong only play for them to which he also played for the whites as his audience. He defied the society's prejudice on race by diversifying his audience hence upholding the qualities of a good citizen. He became a cultural ambassador to the US in cold war era to which his music had no geographical deterrence. b) Billie Holiday The second personality trait for an ideal citizen in ideal democracy is sensuous and emotional on matters that demean the quality of life for others especially the minorities. In essence, Billie Holiday was a jazz musician whose music depicted this quality of an ideal citizen. Remarkably, one of her songs ‘Strange Fruit’ became an anthem to civil rights movement’s for its role in highlighting the lynching of two African Americans. It was an intense piece that capitalized on the racism that was in existence in America to which many labeled it as a protest song. In essence, this jazz song had the intent of appealing to those in the south to have feeling and not to continue in with the lynching because it was inhumane. Therefore, her music fulfilled the role defined the role defined by Ellison in his book that jazz and blues were music categories used by blacks to counter the racism that transpired. c) Benny Goodman As it later emerged, jazz music was no longer music associated with African Americans but also Americans adopted in this form of swing music. For instance, Benny Goodman became the first American to embrace this music genre as he also aided in the launch of the carriers of many African Americans. In essence, another ideal quality of an ideal citizen in a democratic society is that one should be able to work with individual irrespective of their race or religion. In this regard, Benny made strides towards this aspect of hiring African Americans to form part of his band. This occurrence was at a time when there was intense racial segregation, but Goodman owned up to his name by being a pioneer of having a racially integrated jazz band (Malone, Bill, David Stricklin 54), his experiences drew from the Jim Crow segregation laws that dominated society that was a racial caste system that Goodman did not approve. Instead, he treated African Americans with regard and not as the laws purported. d) Duke Ellington Lastly, an ideal citizen has the characteristic of airing out grievances in avenues that one feels comfortable with without to do so in a manner that others feel is acceptable. Essentially, Duke Ellington is a jazz musician who was not vocal in declaring his stand concerning the civil rights movement. In essence, many compelled him to join Martin Luther King in the Washington march of 1963 to which he defied citing his subtle approach to dealing with radical matters. He dealt with segregation in a unique way in which he refused to perform to a segregated audience hence portraying his belief in racial integration. His music served as fuel to the African American pride by conveying their experience in America (Clark 67). The ‘Black, Brown, and Beige’ music piece were an affirmation of his feeling of the African American experience, hence negating the aspect of street protests as a way of airing their experience. Subsequently, Duke played his part in ensuring that there was racial unity through his own unique way that was acceptable as per the qualities of a good citizen. Success of Blues and Jazz in Promoting anti-racial themes Application of personal qualities towards a multi-cultural American society Presently, the American society has evolved into a multi-cultural society through a diverse number of music genres. As the narrator in ‘invisible man’ highlights, he could feel the impact of jazz music and its themes (Sundquist 247). This was not an isolated case as many others, both black and white heard the message delivered by different art musicians. Additionally, jazz and blues musicians were vital in their influence in the formulation of policies that protect minorities against oppression and segregation. In essence, the world’s authorities prohibit the sale of music perceived to contain these emotional traits that make the minorities feel unwanted. Further, these jazz musicians are also iconic as they helped in the crafting of laws that charge hefty fines on those found to impede the way to a racially integrated society. Despite America’s history of racial oppression, the predecessors in the music industry did the heavy lifting for musicians that are not of African American descent because their music now sells in America as compared to the past. In essence, the stereotype borders that one existed have watered down meaning that there exists the freedom of choice and expression for both the minorities and the majority groups ((Price et al 43). Additional measures to facilitate progress towards a racially integrated American society However, many perceive America as a post-racial society as barriers to African American advancement have been overcome to which there exists some falsehood. In essence, these minorities serve as the prime suspects to crime to which some of their music genres have the stereotyped aspect of being criminal. Nevertheless, the American society needs to negate this stereotype aspect of treating crime at an individual level and not at a community level. This means that not all African Americans are criminals simply because of having an associate to hip-hop music. This is the message that jazz and blues musicians conveyed as highlighted by Ellison in the epilogue of ‘invisible man’. Conclusion Evidently, both blues and jazz music served to highlight themes that related to the African American experience in the American society. Both music genres emerged as a form of expression during the Renaissance period, when the African Americans began exhibiting different forms of art. The epilogue in the book, ‘invisible man’ places emphasis on the value of blues and jazz music in promoting themes related to the black American experience. They had both political and societal changes in the society because the themes promoted were against the existing racial segregation. Work Cited Callahan, John F. Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man: A Casebook. New York ; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print. Clark, Andrew. Riffs & Choruses: A New Jazz Anthology. London [u.a.: Continuum, 2001. Print. Hayes, Eileen M, and Linda F. Williams. Black Women and Music: More Than the Blues. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2007. Print. Malone, Bill C, and David Stricklin. Southern Music/american Music. Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky, 2003. Print.. Southern Music/american Music. Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky, 2003. Print. Phinney, Kevin. Souled American: How Black Music Transformed White Culture. New York, NY: Billboard Books, 2005. Print. Price, Florence, Rae L. Brown, Wayne D. Shirley, and Florence Price. Symphonies Nos. 1 and 3. Middleton, Wis: Published for the American Musicological Society by A-R Editions, 2008. Musical score. Sundquist, Eric J. Cultural Contexts for Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Boston: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1995. Print. Read More