Americas Classical Music: Jazz in the 1920s - Essay Example

Jazz in the 1920s Jazz is something Negroes invented, and it said the most profound things -- not only about us and the way we look at things, but about what modern democratic life is really about. It is the nobility of the race put into sound ... jazz has all the elements, from the spare and penetrating to the complex and enveloping. It is the hardest music to play that I know of, and it is the highest rendition of individual emotion in the history of Western music. -Wynton Marsalis Introduction Jazz is commonly referred to as "America's Classical Music," giving credits to its country of origin. Jazz blossomed in the US during the 1920s, however, history tells us that the timeline of jazz started in the 1817 with the New Orleans city government's establishment of "Congo Square" as an official site for music and dance (Jazz Timeline 2005). This important event in history marked the importance of New Orleans as a regional musical center. The "Congo Square" became the breeding ground for what will become a very significant part of the American culture. In this place, the formerly slaves in the community were allowed to express themselves through music and other art form. Thus, they sang "work songs filled with irony, imagery, and love-relief from the tensions of their lives (American Popular Music 2005)." The blues, which is a precursor of jazz also flourished in the "Congo Square" giving way to the creation of jazz music. Compared to other types of music, jazz has its distinct characteristics. Jazz is characterized by blue notes, syncopation, swing, call and response, polyrhythm and improvisation. This repot will specifically look at the Jazz Age (1920s) and one of the most influential figure during that time. This paper will focus on the significance of jazz after the World War I and the significant places where it flourished. One section will give an account to the contributions of Louis Armstrong in jazz music. It will also briefly explain the situation jazz in the post World War II. The Jazz Age A decade after the World War I, the world saw "an artistic explosion occurred within the African American community that produced a wealth of music, literature poetry, dance, social discourse and visual art." Jazz is the essential products of these developments. The 1920s, which is often regarded as the Roaring Twenties came to be known as the "Jazz Age." The decade witnessed the collapse of the America's traditional set -up. Its old perceived social conventions had ruined by the Great War but new principles developed. Jazz became the popular music embodying the "let-loose" social attitude during the period. It is during these times that people seem to get tired of the previous war and were expressing their relief through the use of mediums like music. Women, in particular, felt triumphant in their newfound freedom (that is, being granted the right to vote in 1920). They began to stick to a more liberated culture by bobbing their hair and wearing short flapper dresses. After the war, it became apparent that the public desired entertainment which led to the opening of public dance halls, clubs, and tearooms in cities. New dances like the Charleston are widely popular in dance floors and clubs. Black dances like the shimmy, turkey trot, buzzard lope, chicken scratch, monkey glide, and bunny hug were eventually adopted by the white public which implies the growing in the Arican-American culture. The new music, new dances and new fashions which dominated the new era outraged many as the Catholic Telegraph quoted:"The music is sensuous, the female is only half dressed and the motions may not be described in a family newspaper. Suffice it to say that there are certain houses appropriate for such dances but these houses have been closed by law (The Jazz Age 2006)." The Rise of Jazz Accordingly, two disparate, but important, inventions of the second half of the nineteenth century quietly had set the stage for jazz to capture the spotlight in American popular music by the 1920s-George Pullman's invention of the sleeping car in 1864 and Thomas Edison's phonograph. The invention of sleeping car brought a new level of luxury while the invention of the phonograph record made quality music available to a wide range of audience. The invention of the sleeping car and the rise of jazz is somehow vague it was explained by the following excerpt (Kenney 1993) . "Pullman's ingenious, rolling sleeping quarters provided employment to legions of African-American men, who criss-crossed the nation as sleeping car porters; and by the second decade of the twentieth century, the Pullman Company employed more African-Americans than any single business concern in the United States. But Pullman porters were more than solicitous, smiling faces in smart, navy blue uniforms. The most dapper and sophisticated of them were culture bearers, spreading the card game of bid whist the latest dance crazes, regional news, and a heightened sense of black pride to cities and towns wherever the railways reached. Many porters also shared, traded and even sold "race records" to augment their income, speeding artistic innovations to musicians eager to hear the latest; spreading among the general public an awareness of and appreciation for this rapidly evolving musical form; and, in the process, putting jazz on the fast track to first U.S., then worldwide, acclaim. With Prohibition the constitutional amendment that forbade the sale of alcoholic beverages, the legal saloons and cabarets were closed; but in their place hundreds of speakeasies appeared, where patrons drank and musicians entertained. The presence of dance venues and the subsequent increased demand for accomplished musicians meant more artists were able to support themselves by playing professionally. As a result, the numbers of professional musicians increased, and jazz-like all the popular music of the 1920s-adopted the 4/4 beat of dance music." The rise of jazz is also facilitated by the invention of the radio in the 1920s. The proliferation of commercial stations that came with the invention of the radio, remarkably made jazz popular to the listening public. Thus, jazz became associated with things modern, sophisticated, and decadent. The 1920s then, the time of technological marvels, flappers, flashy automobiles, organized crime, bootleg whiskey, and bathtub gin, became the Jazz Age. Four significant places became significant in the history of jazz during 1920s. These are New Orleans, Chicago, New York, and Kansas City. New Orleans New Orleans is regarded as the root of jazz music. Even if jazz flourished only in the 1920s, the establishment of jazz music in New Orleans can be traced in as early as the late 19th century and the early 20th century. African and American musicians used to gather in Storyville where they "congregate to improvise and share their music." Jazz musicians refer to jazz as "New Orleans sound" and often refer to New Orleans as their home even if they spent little time there. Also, jazz musician like Jelly Roll Morton began touring in 1906 in his attempt to spread the music. However, despite these efforts they failed to increase the popularity of jazz making jazz music to remain almost exclusively as "The sound of New Orleans." The 1920s saw the rise of "first real stars of jazz" like King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Kid Ory. These artists gained popularity and are well known because of their original jazz music. The typical New Orleans jazz band is comprised of three voices which include cornet, clarinet, and trombone, and a rhythm section. The further progress of jazz in the New Orleans was hampered by the "racism, prejudice violence against the Creole and African American population in New Orleans" between 1917 and 1923. Due to these, many jazz musicians were forced to leave the place including Joe "King" Oliver, Edward "Kid" Ory, Louis Armstrong, among others. However, though this "mass exodus of greatest" hampered the development of jazz in New Orleans, this gave way to the proliferation of jazz throughout the United States. As jazz musicians seek new refuge, jazz spread to Chicago, New York, and Kansas City. "Chicago was the most popular destination of these early jazz musicians, but New York also saw a great influx of jazz talent. Among thesecities, Kansas City was unique; because it was there that the New Orleans jazz sound flourished the longest, well into the 1930s." Chicago Chicago is described as a place which "held great opportunities for musicians" in the 1920s as it was dominated by gangster together with their cabaret and dance clubs. The exodus from New Orleans brought the "New Orleans sound" in Chicago's South Side, the Plantation, the Nest, and the Sunset. The jazz from New Orleans saw a huge development in Chicago as jazz music became "more uniform and less wild and primitive." Since jazz was now played in dance halls in Chicago where the audience are comprised of middle class white, it became more "polite." Early jazz music was also performed in black neighborhood necessitating white jazz enthusiast to visit African American areas to learn jazz music. Two distinct variation of jazz music were developed as jazz gained popularity in Chicago. As there were two separate clubs for black and white audiences, two types of jazz began to emerge. "The music that played in "Negro clubs" was faster and wilder than the jazz played in predominantly white dance halls, but even the jazz in the "Negro clubs" was tame in comparison to the jazz of New Orleans." On the other hand, King Oliver's band was the best example on how the "New Orleans sound" shifted in Chicago. King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band became widely recognized due to their "unconventional instrumentation and perfect balance" which drew audiences to Chicago's Lincoln Garden. The people immediately embraced the "bluesy sound and exciting rhythm" which was once foreign to Chicago and jazz become part of the popular culture. King Oliver's band reaped success during their first year in Chicago, but as jazz flooded the local radio networks, the audience seemed to have a greater preference for a more refined "dance jazz hall." Throughout the 1920s, jazz thrived in Chicago. It should be noted that the first broadcast of jazz music were made in Chicago. However, the new Chicago government purged the city with gangster who also abolished the cities clubs and dance halls. This had great implications for Chicago jazz which became more polished, losing its bluesy sound. This was further aided by the prevalence of white musicians. New York The 1920s undoubtedly became the Golden Age of jazz in New York. Jazz in New York is different from the jazz in New Orleans in Chicago as its origin dates back in the early 1900s embodying the characteristics of ragtime music. Scott Joplin had played in New York, and other great musicians followed in his footsteps. After The Original Dixieland Jazz Band played on Broadway, jazz musicians imitated the New Orleans sound. Though different from the "undisciplined and widely erratic" New Orleans jazz, this music gained wide popularity in New York due to the patronage from every echelon of the society. New York also became a refuge for Louis Armstrong which introduced a new genre of jazz improvisation. Key figures in New York jazz include Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington who laboriously "combined smooth dance music with impulsive improvisation, creating a polished yet popular sound." Another notable figure is Paul Whitman who, while not making any lasting contributions to the evolution of jazz, was popular due to his classy and elegant symphonic music. George Gershwin did what Whitman didn't, improving jazz with his symphonic style. He became known with his introduction of Rhapsody in Blue in February 24 where his "composition greatly influenced the future direction of jazz, and elevated jazz music to a respected form of music." The emergence of Harlem Renaissance further facilitated the popularity and respectability of jazz music. Kansas City The exodus of musicians from New Orleans facilitated the entry of musicians in Kansas City. It is said that by 1920, jazz could be heard on nearly every street corner in the city. The 1920s also saw the high demand of African American jazz musicians in the white dance halls, and clubs as well as African American jazz clubs. Hotel restaurants in Kansas City were also known for employing elaborate jazz ensembles. "There were over fifty jazz clubs in one six block district. Kansas City was often a resting place for musicians on their way to California, Chicago, or New York." Perhaps, the most famous early jazz musician who was native to Kansas was Benny Moten. He became largely responsible for the spread of jazz in Kansas City in the early 1920s. Meanwhile, Walter Page and Bill Basie (later known as "Count Basie") joined Moten's band in 1928, thereby forming the most outstanding jazz band in the city. Kansas city jazz musicians have significant contribution to jazz music. This was the way they "propelled jazz toward the Big Bands of the 1930s." It is notable that bands became increasingly large in number throughout the 1920s. The saxophone became the most important individual instrument in Kansas City during the 1920s. In fact, jazz musicians all over the country referred to Kansas City as "The Home of the Sax." The "riff"1 was the most identifiable characteristic of Kansas City jazz. Louis Armstrong "Louis Armstrong's station in the history of jazz is umimpeachable. If it weren't for him, there wouldn't be any of us." Dizzy Gillespie, 1971 In his early career life, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong was highly regarded because of his virtuosic playing of the cornet and trumpet. In his records, the Hot Five and the Hot Seven, the remarkable expertise in trumpet playing during his early years can be heard. His improvisations on these records of New Orleans jazz standards and current popular songs, to the present time "stack up brilliantly" together with other succeeded jazz artists. "Variating the melody" was the term often referred to the improvisations made by the early New Orleans jazz musicians. However, "Armstrong's improvisations were daring and sophisticated for the time while often subtle and melodic". He often rearranged a popular tunes he, himself, played to make the music more enjoyable and good enough to please the listeners. His playing styles and remarkable improvisations are "filled with joyous, creative leaps and subtle relaxed or exciting rhythms". Supported by constant practice, these virtuosic approaches were perfectly match by Armstrong's playing techniques which extend the trumpet's range, tone and capabilities. In 1920's, Armstrong played beyond the limits of his own abilities. Minor flaws and missed notes can be noticed in his Hot 5 records. But due to his powerful improvisations and techniques, Armstrong was able to hide those minor mistakes. However, by the mid 1930's, Armstrong attained his mature stage, knowing his own capabilities and applying them with accuracy (Louis Armstrong 2005). As his music develops and his popularity exceedingly grew, Armstrong's singing was also became important part of his career. Though he was not the first to record scat singing, he was expert to it and contributed to its wide popularity. The "Heebie Jeebies and "I'm A Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas" are Armstrong's hit of playing and scat singing. Those records became famous and his performances becoming more and more centered in scat singing. However, long before this, he was already applying the style of scat singing; "playing around with his vocals, shortening and lengthening phrases, interjecting improvisations, using his voice as creative as his trumpet playing (Louis Armstrong 2005)." Conclusion-Jazz After World War II Jazz has been shaped by different external factors which emerged during the 20th century. Among the most important factors is the crash of the stock market in the late 1920s which facilitated the creation of swing, and the eruption of the World War II in the 1940s which gave way to the further modification of jazz. During World War II, Americans suffered as they were active in the war. After the years of joy and happiness, musicians were bored of the same patterns of the swing, and felt that "they needed to create new dimensions in music." The famous trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and saxophone player Charlie 'Bird' Parker invented a new understanding of jazz called "bebop." Different with the other types of jazz, "bebop was much more artistic, and instead of entertaining people, it had the aim of showing the talents of the soloists as well as the other musicians." The bebop gained a negative reaction from the listening audience as they viewed it as "too complex" for them. Gold (2002) describes the situation of jazz after World War II, and criticizes American people because of their reaction to bebop. As Gold (2002) describes, "Jazz had become associated with the war. The war was over, and people wanted to forget the war. Besides, new jazz, Be-Bop, could not be danced to. It was easy to dumb down a nation without an artistic history it was willing to cling to." Goodale (1998) agrees with Gold (2002) on this point because Goodale (1998) admits that the direction of jazz changes after the war. Goodale (1998) expresses: The whole country was retooling from war to peacetime activity and the new jazz sounds set the pace. It's easy to see in those wild paint drips the same sorts of voyages off the edge of the known world that the avant-garde jazz musicians were taking with their new, bold sounds. (p.3) From the developments after the World War II, jazz music had evolved to what we know today. It became some of the most significant addition to the twentieth century music and all its influence can be felt on the straight musicians such as Ravel and Stravinsky, Milhaud and Kurt Weill, Hindemith and Krenek, Gershwin and Copland. They used jazz music as another compositional tool. Nowadays, Jazz is now widely accepted art form and its importance contributed in shaping the course of twentieth century music. References "American Popular Music." Kingwood College Library. http://kclibrary.nhmccd.edu/music- 2.html (accessed May 8, 2006) Gold, N (2002). The Place Of Jazz In America's Music Industry. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/articles/arti0802_01.htm (accessed May 8, 2006) Goodale, G. Bring on Cyberart. Who Shapes Art: In 1908: Monet; In 1998, Disney. Academic Search Premier. "Jazz Moves Up River." University of Minnesota Duluth. http://www.d.umn.edu/cla /faculty/tbacig/studproj/is3099/jazzcult/20sjazz/upriver.html (accessed May 8, 2006) "Jazz History Timeline." Jazzistry. http://www.jazzistry.org/timeline.html (accessed May 8, 2006) "Jazz Timeline." Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. http://www.jazzinamerica.org/l_timeline. asp (accessed May 8, 2006) Kenney, Howland. Chicago Jazz: A Cultural History, 1904-1930. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993 Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Legacy. National Portrait Gallery. http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/armstrong/index.htm (accessed May 8, 2006) "The Jazz Age." History Learning Site. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/1920's_ America.htm (accessed May 8, 2006) Read More