History of Jazz and Dance - Essay Example

1 The 1920s ushered in a new era known as The Roaring Twenties, fueled by a new prosperity in the United s. During this decade unemployment dropped and the “Illiteracy rate reached a new low of 6% of the population” (Whitley, online). With prosperity came a revived interest in entertainment, particularly in music and dance. As Jazz music became more popular, new dances such as the Shimy, Lindy Hop and Charleston were introduced. Traditional dance steps such as the Waltz and Foxtrot remained popular. Films produced during this era began to included the dance moves of actors such as Rudolph Valentino, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The popularity of dance and development of new steps continued through the Great Depression Era. Jazz music continued to change and evolve during this time, leading to the Cool Jazz and Funk of the 1950s. Jazz music initially came from New Orleans in the early 1920s, though it quickly spread to other cities such as Chicago and New York. Musicians like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington began performing in New York City. New clubs such as the Cotton Club in 1923 and the Savoy Ballroom in 1926 opened in Harlem. Duke Ellington’s band Became the ‘house band’ of the Cotton Club. The Savoy featured Jazz artists like Bennie Goodman, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk. Most of the well known Jazz artists later introduced new styles of music such as Be-bop at the clubs. New York city was not the only place that began to celebrate Jazz music and the new dances of the time. Many artists also made their way north to Chicago. Some of the well known artists of the time like Louis Armstrong and Earl Hines actually recorded music in the Windy City, which helped to increase the popularity of Jazz. Many more local groups formed in smaller cities through the Midwest during the 2 1920s and 1930s. Kansas City is home to the Count Basie Orchestra. Along with the new form of musical expression which became so popular came new styles in dance and dress. “The focus in the Jazz Age was definitely on youth. It was the era of "pep" personified by the slim girlish "flapper" with her bobbed hair and short skirts and her male companion, the "sheik" with his ukelele, raccoon coat and bell-bottomed "Oxford bags" (Mixed Pickle). It is around this time that women began wearing makeup and painting their nails in various colors. Looks and accessories became an important part of the lives of many young women. It is believed that Joan Crawford was first noticed in Hollywood dressed as a flapper and winning many Charleston dance contests. Dance Halls and hotels across the country began hosting Charleston Contests. Despite its popularity, critics of Jazz music and dancing were plentiful. Jazz music was sometimes coined jungle music. J. R. MacMahon, in a December 1921 Ladies Home Journal article writes "Jazz dancing is degrading. It lowers all the moral standards. Unlike liquor, a great deal of the harm is direct and immediate. But it also leads to undesirable things. The jazz is too often followed by the joy-ride. The lower nature is stirred up as a prelude to unchaperoned adventure." Other individuals or organizations went as far as to ban Jazz music. The Cincinnati Salvation Army sought a court injunction to “stop construction of a theater next to a home for expectant mothers on the grounds that "the enforced proximity of a theater and jazz palace" would implant dangerous "jazz emotions" in helpless infants” (Burns, film). Such comments did little to dissuade the many young people who enjoyed the emerging new dances Though the Shimmy “goes way back to the "Haitian Voodoo " dances with the rapid shaking of hips and shoulders” (StreetSwing.com), it is said to have been introduced to the U.S. by Gilda Gray, a singer and member of the Ziegfield Follies. 3 Even through the Great Depression Era, beginning in the 1930s, those who could not afford to travel to dance halls or other dance facilities danced the Charleston and Shimmy at home. When records were unaffordable, the radio was used to enjoy the new dance steps. In the 1930s many previous ballroom steps were reformed into new steps such as the Picolino and the Carioca. Latin dances such as the Rumba, Conga and Samba were introduced . The popularity of Latin dances continued into the 1950s with the Cha-Cha and the Mambo. Latin dances such as the Salsa are still enjoyed today. While Latin dances were being introduced, a new form of Jazz dance was evolving as the Swing, which also correlated with the new Swing type of Jazz music. An early Swing dance called the Lindy Hop was named after Charles Lindberg’s first flight across the Atlantic. A group of dancers known as Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers began touring the country in 1939 and appeared in some Hollywood films. With the new dance steps and rapid changes taking place throughout the country, Arthur Murray studios were forced to change their dance studio strategies. Each branch of the studio was given orders to offer dance classes that were popular to the particular region. Throughout the 1930s Swing remains the popular form of Jazz music. Be-bop or Bop music is introduced in the 1940’s. During the time between the WWI and WWII Jazz also became popular in European cities such as Paris and London. During the Great Depression the Big Band Sounds of Jazz began to dissipate, giving way to the Jazz Ensemble sounds, which became more soulful and introspective. After the Great Depression, the new Jazz sound changed to what we consider today To be Blues. Experts believe it is this form of music that has influenced all other forms of music since then. "It is from the Blues that all that may be called American music 4 derives it most distinctive characteristics" (Johnson). Rock, Rap, R & B, Country Western and even Hip Hop music of today are said to be influenced by Blues. Though Swing and Jazz continued after WWII, it eventually evolved into Cool Jazz, which became popular among the Beatnik generation of the 1950s. Singers like Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby helped to tone down the flavor of the 1930s style swing dance. At the same time, Swing dancing evolved into a diverse group of dances that correlated with the arrival of Rock music. The Lindy, Jitterbug, Jive, Bop, Push, Whip, Shag, East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing were all danced to the faster tempo of Rock music. As new forms of music and dance were introduced in the 1940s and 1950s, wardrobe became increasingly less important. Some who attended the dance halls still dressed in fancier styles, while men often preferred the 1920s style Zoot Suits. With the evolving of Swing music and new dance steps such as Jitterbug and Jive, new styles became popular with young people. Many of them began to frequent hamburger stands and smaller establishments that housed new music technology known as Juke Boxes. Dances were less informal, though many enjoyed the more informal setting for music and dance. Young women began wearing Poodle skirts and Saddle shoes. Men began wearing Blue Jeans and more casual shoes. Many changes came about in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The 45 rpm record replaced the old 78 rpm record. Other forms of entertainment such as television began competing with music and other forms of entertainment. As television introduced the newer music styles such as Rock and Roll, they became more popular with young people throughout the country. It is at this time that Jazz music began fading from the dance halls and radio. Many Jazz musicians gave in to the new music trends and 5 joined the movement of combining Jazz with Rock music. This style became the new form of Jazz known as Fusion. New musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald arrived on the scene in the 1950s. Ella is also considered the Queen of Be-bop by some enthusiasts. During the 1950s there was much dispute as to what different styles of Jazz were called. West Coast Jazz was also termed Hard Bop. With the new Jazz Fusion came another similar style called Cool Jazz. Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond and Chet Baker were a few of the artists based on the West Coast of the U.S. “The "cool jazz" style was accidentally construed as a regional style and dubbed "West Coast Jazz." A sizable portion of the major figures who are routinely called "West Coast musicians," were not from California and lived there only sporadically” (Gridley). New York remained the major center for all styles of Jazz music. Some Jazz musicians experimented with and recorded more than one style. For instance, Dave Brubeck may be labeled as a Cool Jazz musician by some, though some of his work is also of the Bossa Nova style. Regardless of the terminology and confusion in labeling Jazz styles, the rapid changes that took place from 1920 to 1950 are the greatest feats of this musical style. The ability to influence dance, and subsequent changes in dance as new styles of Jazz music evolved, is equally remarkable. It is amazing how quickly Jazz music took off once it was introduced to a few large cities in the U.S. It is equally amazing how quickly popular dance changed with each new music style. Despite the critical comments and actions taken by those who viewed Jazz music and dance as sinful, it continued to remain popular for many more decades. It is evident that the ever changing styles of Jazz became a major factor in the evolvement of new music styles, particularly that of Rock and Roll music, which was introduced in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Bibliography AllAboutJazz.com Burns, Ken. “Jazz: A History of America’s Music.” Gridley, Marc. “Clarifying labels: Cool Jazz, West Coast and Hard Bop.” Spring 1990. Johnson, James W. “In A Passion for Jazz.” MacMahon, J.R. “Unspeakable Jazz Must Go!” The Ladies Home Journal December, 1921. Sonny Watson’s StreetSwing.com. Whitley, Peggy. “American Cultural History.” 1999. Read More