Blog 5

Prior to attending this history of jazz course I knew close to nothing about jazz music and even less regarding its history. I always assumed that jazz music began and evolved in Chicago. It was clear to me that jazz was well liked by many nationally and worldwide, but I continued to believe that its evolution and progression had primarily occurred in Chicago. Black Studies 14 has greatly heightened my understanding and appreciation of jazz music and its history. I now know much more about the main cities, people, and instruments that helped jazz music develop overtime. I also have a come to realize the significance that the syncretism of different cultures have had on jazz, not only regarding the integration that occurred in New York but also early on starting with the blending of the African and European aesthetics. I have a greater appreciation for the music and a much better understanding of all the elements that contributed to the development of jazz.

In this History of Jazz course I have learned that jazz did not begin or solely evolve in Chicago, I now know that it traveled through many cities in what is known as the great migration. New Orleans, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York are four cities that played major roles in the ripening of jazz. One thing that all these cities did have in common was their melting pot quality. This was a very important quality because the diversity had a great impact on jazz music. We see influences from a variety of different cultures in jazz, there are aspects of European, African, French, Spanish and many others type of music. (Gioia, 6). These different cultural aspects have had a racial impact on jazz music but jazz has also reciprocated that impact on race integration and segregation in these cities.

A special quality that jazz has preserved from the beginning is its diversity in its makeup. It is a blend of many different musical cultural aspects from all around the world mixed into one and that becomes jazz. Syncretism, “the blending together of cultural elements that previously existed separately” (Gioia, 5), took on an entirely new meaning for me as I journeyed through this course. Jazz in itself is a melting pot of musical aspects from different cultures, there are pieces of European, African, Caribbean, and many other types of music that are blended and used to create jazz.

From the start we saw the mixture of races in New Orleans influence the formation of jazz. The infusion of the European, African, and creole styles were some of the greatest contributors to early jazz. Aspects of African music are also seen in jazz; Benjamin Latrobe made sketches of the instruments “These drawings confirm that the musicians of Congo Square, circa 1819, were playing percussive instruments virtually identical to those characteristic of indigenous African music” (Gioia, 7).  The string and percussive instruments such as the ones that were used at Congo Square and shown in the article “African Art in Motion” (Thompson, 13) were important additions to the Africanization of European music. Not only are these African features seen in instruments but also in the style of play, blues for instance has many traits from African sorrow and work songs. The blues music spoke a lot of the conditions of people’s lives just as work songs did (Gioia, 13-20). We also see a European aesthetic in jazz with the inclusion of the piano, which was commonly used in European classical music. The African and European aesthetics blended creating a syncretism that added to the uniqueness of early jazz music.

Now that we are nearing an end to the quarter I can honestly say that my perspective towards jazz has greatly changed. I have a great appreciation for the music because I now know more about how many influences have come together to evolve and develop jazz music. I also understand the significance behind the music whether it is blues, bebop, or swing. The assumptions I had prior to taking this course were far off from the reality of jazz music.

Blog 4

Thelonious Monk was greatly influenced by many aspects of the community and his life, his life was unique and consisted of a very culturally diverse influence that shows in his music. San Juan Hill was a cutthroat area where violence was extremely prevalent and common. “Because every block is a different town… you go to the next block and you’re in another country” (Kelley, 19). Every block was unique in its culture and expression as was Thelonious Monk himself. The San Juan Hill community consisted of all kinds of people, blacks, whites, Chinese, blacks from the Caribbean, and even Europeans. (Kelley, 19). This diversity made the environment of every block unique.

Coming from a diverse background and community greatly influenced Monk’s music. He was able to learn from the many different cultures that he was constantly surrounded by and picked up bits from all their varying cultural styles of music. “With the music, cuisine, dialects, and manners of the Caribbean and the American South everywhere in the West 60s, virtually every kid became a kind of cultural hybrid. Thelonious absorbed Caribbean music (Kelley, 23). The avant-garde style that worked well with Thelonious because his background was so diversely influenced and not just one genre from a particular region was the right category for his music.

Monk was no stranger to racism, he had experienced it and witnessed it especially coming from San Juan Hill. In 1958 there was an incident where Monk was unjustly discriminated and later arrested which led to his cabaret card being revoked that incident proved a lot about Monk’s response toward this injustice. “Thelonious was so mad he wouldn’t move. He took hold of the car door… and couldn’t be budged until one cop started beating on his hands with a billy club, his pianist’s hands” (Kelley, 254). Although not a man of violence Monk always stood for what he believe was right, even when he was being beaten he stayed strong.

Monk’s art was special in the way that it reached a diverse group of people. Black people found interest in it just as many from the white community did. The Bohemian community was very fond of Monk’s music, it was music that very artistic and nonconformist people could relate to. “Monks music embodies a vision of a new community of artistic souls- rebels against middle class conformity” (Stewart, Lecture).

Monk experienced a lot through his lifetime, living in San Juan Hill, being a musician, and being targeted for his skin color. All of these experiences shaped not only his life but also the way he made and performed music. The influences of diversity and violence a strongly seen in his music and shaped it into its unique form that reached a new group of enthusiasts. 

Blog 3

            Prior to the 1930s race had always been an issue of concern in the jazz community, it is seen in New Orleans, Chicago and New York. It was not until the 1930s that race began to factor in so greatly and affect jazz in such an extreme way. The Swing Era brought with it new views, new musicians, and a new scene. Swing’s big breakout took place in New York and there many famous musicians such as Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman were able to make their mark. “The ‘colored market’ once considered ‘limited’ was now becoming profitable” (Swing Changes, 121). This new push for integration in the jazz scene that arose in the 1930s had a strong impact

            Duke Ellington was one of the musicians who had a strong impact during the swing integration era. He pushed for integration because he understood that it would help gain popularity. Ellington found himself a Jewish agent at the Cotton Club and they began to increase his popularity by putting him on the radio. The radio allowed for integration in jazz to greatly increase, listeners were not able to see skin color and therefore were able to appreciate music from both whites and blacks.

            Carnegie hall and the Savoy were two places that also greatly contributed to integration during the 1930s. The Savoy was a place where integration was occurring through competition. One of the most famous events that occurred at the Savoy was the “Musical battle of century” between Benny Goodman and Chick Webb. At Carnegie Hall rather than it being a competitive environment there was a breakthrough with the integrated quartet that included Benny Goodman and three black musicians, Drummer Gene Krupa, pianist Teddy Wilson, and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton. The musical integration occurring at these places helped integration during the Swing Era take a huge leap forward, even though many people were against it during this time.

During this time we also saw a change in the attitudes of black musicians and towards certain critics. Musicians were now acknowledging critique from those who represented the white audience. One well-known critic was John Hammond, a man who came from a wealthy family and was given the opportunity to study at Yale although he dropped out to pursue a life around jazz. Hammond discovered many important musicians such as Fletcher Henderson, Count Basie, and Billie Holiday. When Hammond criticized Ellington, Ellington did not feel that Hammond had the right to that critique. Ellington said his critique was “Laughable” He did not believe that a wealthy Vanderbilt descendent could understand what a black musician was going through during the Great Depression (Stewart, Lecture).

            The 1930s Swing Era brought about great changes, integration was now being seen more frequently for different reasons in this era. Ellington’s goals for commercial success created major changes just as places such as Carnegie Hall and the Savoy did as well. In their own different ways many components came together to create changes towards the views of race in 1930s jazz music.  

Blog 2

Chicago and New York were both very important contributors to jazz in the 1920’s, each city aided the evolution and progression of jazz. Although New York largely contributed, Chicago was the more significant city and greater contributor during the 1920s jazz scene. Similar to New Orleans, Chicago was a very multi-ethnic city that harbored immigrants from all over; especially Europe. This mixture of an urban and agricultural area is a factor as to why at this time it was the main trading city of the US (Stewart, Lecture). The immigrants and Chicagoans competed very mercilessly for jobs of any sort. During the day they would slave away working at stockyards and steel industries so naturally when the opportunity to enjoy themselves arose they did not take it for granted and this is where jazz greatly came into play and began to develop even more. Dancehalls and ballrooms became huge hits in Chicago at this time. These halls were a place for the hardworking middle class to go and enjoy great jazz music from some of the most amazing musicians such as Armstrong, King Oliver, and Bix Beiderbecke.

Following the Chicago Race Riot in 1919 there was a huge push by the black community to make changes in their social and economic conditions. The riot was the reason that commercial racial nationalism arose among the black community. In Chicago there was an enormous spike in black entrepreneurialism, black barbershops, beauty parlors, markets and even insurance companies were being established in the city (Cohen 150-151). This movement to improve black capitalism and the black economy was headed by Marcus Garvey the founder of the back to Africa program and leader of the United Negro Improvement Association (Cohen, 149). At this time consumerism among the black community grew, record stores, mail order ads, and the radio were just a few ways that consumerism and jazz music were intertwined at this time. (Cohen, 155).

Two styles of jazz that arose during the 1920s were the Chicago and Harlem styles of jazz. The Chicago style was primarily centered on the horn. The goal by many musicians was to play like Louis Armstrong, which was something that the musicians were not able to do and resulted in what is now referred to as an imperfect imitation. The ensemble playing became more complex and the collective band play declined which allowed for the individual to have a greater role, for that reason this style held a bigger emphasis on improvisation with the soloist. Chicago style was a poor imitation by white players, which evolved into a popular more danceable style. Some of the most well know Chicago style players were Armstrong, Hines, Oliver, Beiderbecke, and Dodds (Gioia 75). The Austin High School gang also was very involved with the Chicago style (Chicagoan, 154). On the other hand we also have Harlem style which rather than holding the emphasis on the horn it has now shifted to the piano. From this style we not see the emergence of stride. The Harlem style grew from a mixture of classical piano, stride, and ragtime. Some of the key players were James P. Johnson “Father of Stride”, Willie “The Lion” Smith, and Thomas “Fats” Waller, and Art Tatum. (Gioia, 97-98).

Although there were many amazing players and bands in Chicago during the 1920s the epitome of Chicago jazz primarily brings to mind Louis Armstrong. Armstrong and Chicago were a perfect fit he needed Chicago as much as Chicago need him. In this city is where he was truly able to flourish and evolve into the iconic jazz artist he became.