Jazz Music : A Black Art

The Jazz Age was a period of radical behavior and care free living. This new music structure started the crazy decade that would change American life. “In the US during the 1920s, jazz was far more than a new musical style or genre”. A Focus on culture, fashion, and mostly freedom became huge. “The Jazz Age became a touchstone for a wide range of social and cultural issues.”1 Also the freedom during the period allowed for many different ethnicities, including African Americans, to gain freedom within society. This new music

     The music called Jazz was born sometime around 1895 in New Orleans. It combined elements of Ragtime, marching band music and Blues. What made Jazz such a different perspective of traditional music was its act of improvising. There was a widespread use of improvisation often by more than one player at a time. Songwriters would write the music down on a piece of paper, and then the Jazz musicians would try their best to play the music. Usually in a Jazz piece, musicians would use the song as a starting point to improvise around. Jazz musicians would play a familiar song to the audience, and by the time they were done with the piece they would stir up a totally different feeling away from the

Jazz has always been a part of the American tradition. Some may say they like Jazz for its rhythmic twist and turns. Others may love the soothing melodies from an improved Trumpet solo. All in all, Jazz has been an American staple and has molded today’s popular music, into what it is today. It’s very different from classical music, which is written out and strict. Jazz is much more. It’s made up of spontaneity and improvisation, which makes up an idea on the spot. There are many wide varieties in Jazz. There is Bebop Jazz, Avante Garde Jazz, Acid Jazz, Free Funk Jazz, Soul Jazz, Swing Jazz, and many, many more! These forms of Jazz can be seen and heard in some of your favorite music of Today. It’s been widely used by the world. There is an important reason as to why this genre contributes to the growing of music. We first take a look into the root of all Jazz. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the country of Africa was the first known country to use rhythm primarily for the element of musical expression, and ensembles composed entirely of percussion instruments created extended polyrhythmic works. These polyrhythms, which means the “layering of multiple rhythms.”, were record in Western music. African music did not use paper, or sheet music. Instead, they relied on Aural rituals, learned by ear and also used” spontaneity, which is later said to be known as improvisation”. In Africa, most of the music that was expressed was for religious

Research paper Thesis : The 1920's brought much advancement to today's society especially in technology the most important of which were music . be music important to you ? Music doesn't repel to everyone . Music has a huge impact on society even beginning of the Harlem Renaissance to today . Music has an immense impact on society even beginning of the Harlem Renaissance to today . Music is important to adolescents as well as adults . It is a way to run away from their problems . There are many styles of music . The 20's was known as the " Jazz Age " . This decade was known as the " Jazz Age " because jazz was very popular and just set out showing off the skills in jazz music . Jazz is a popular term to be described as miscellaneous events in life . In the 1920's jazz was entertainment . Jazz also represents rebellious behavior and biracial culture . The 1920's was the time of Prohibition . The Prohibition Amendment of the 1920's was ineffective because it was unenforceable , it caused the explosive growth of crime , and it increased the amount of alcohol ingestion . The crime rate increased because the Prohibition destroyed legal jobs , created black market violence , diverted resources from enforcement of other laws and increased prices people had to pay for prohibited goods . Jazz was not just music ; it was a pattern of communal expression . Jazz was different because revealed the rules-musical and social . It featured improvisation over a traditional structure . The

expanding, sharing it’s enthusiasm throughout the world. The evolution of jazz aroused the curiosity of the nation. As Blacks received their freedom, they were able to

In the 1920s the expanding culture of African Americans was wildly represented by the Harlem Renaissance. It happened after the Great Migration, when they started to develop new styles of literature, art, and music (doc. 6,7). The 1920s were called the “Jazz Age” because musicians recombined blues, European- based music, and ragtime. The Harlem Renaissance changed the way African Americans were looked at by other people in the U.S. and how they lived. It did this by giving them the chance to overcome the things they had gone through in the past. The Harlem Renaissance also allowed them to express how they feeled and show their talents.

Jazz music is a blend of white middle class thoughts and African American traditions. Jazz originated in New Orleans in the beginning of the 1920’s. The Jazz Age was from 1920 through 1929. During the 1920’s, the First World War had just ended in 1918 and the Great Depression was affecting the citizens of the United States. Jazz music and dancing helped people forget about the terrible Great Depression. It gave the citizens a reason to be happy and love life during the 1920’s. The new form of music allowed people to express themselves in new ways. Jazz music was influenced by African American musicians, changed the music industry all over the world, and affected the society.

Picture this: the year is 1926 and you are walking down the street in downtown Chicago. You pass a crowded club, where you hear the upbeat and speedy rhythms of music pouring out. The sound consumes you, fills you with joy, and persuades you to dance. You walk into the club to find numerous people swinging and tossing themselves around each other, enjoying the fast-paced and boisterous music. This is the appearance of jazz music, and in the early 20th century, jazz music swept the nation. With artists like Jelly Roll Morton, Joe King Oliver, Sidney Bichet , Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, jazz filled the souls of Americans, promoting a free and fun lifestyle. Although these artists had different beginnings,

If you truly want to appreciate the music you listen to, I would recommend that you

The origins of Jazz are known to be in many various places like New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, and Kansas City. However, as far as history can date back to, Jazz was associated with the African slaves who were transported on slave ships. These slaves were allowed to dance in order to keep them in good physical and mental form. They danced to the beat of instruments in celebration of the cycles of life and thus originated Jazz- a novel and unique dance form. Since its inception, it has

Black jazz musicians were exploited by white people during the developmental era of jazz and did not benefit fully from their innovations. The history of white supremacy and the exploitation of African Americans which was evident in many instances in the 20th century was also in the jazz industry. Jazz originated in New Orleans as slaves looked for a way of expression but later became an artistic phenomenon that attracted audiences in Kansas City, New York, Chicago until the wave overtook the entire country. With time, musicians improvised the original jazz which then fragmented into cool jazz, Hard Bop, swing, etc. The role of white people in the developmental era of jazz and how it undermined jazz and denied black artists the full benefits

With all the excitement in the 1920’s also came a time where cultural conflict was a huge social tension. Black culture became widespread through many cities, with jazz becoming popular. The

The jazz music of the 1920’s is one example of the scandalous lives of the elite and their elaborate parties that broke barriers for the innovation of American culture.

The origins of jazz music and dance are found in the rhythms and movements brought to America by African slaves. The style of African dance is earthy; low, knees bent, pulsating body movements emphasized by body isolations and hand-clapping. As slaves forced into America, starting during the 1600’s, Africans from many cultures were cut off from their families, languages and

The 1920’s in American history seem to be very exciting. It was the height of the Harlem Renaissance, where African American literature, poetry, art and music emerged. You had all this African American talent growing and blasting into the mainstream. Historians refer to this time period as “The Jazz Age”. When jazz music was introduced to the public at clubs and dance halls it took off! People were either captivated by it, or appalled by it. Jazz was all about movement; it was driven by syncopation and improvisation, and for some it was considered “the devil’s music.” The novel Jazz by Toni Morrison allows you to wonder down the seductive streets of Harlem where it all began. The book gives a sense of both the scandal of Jazz music and the