Jazz, a genre of music that was born from fear and unfortunate circumstances, is to this day one of the most loved music genres. Jazz, by definition, is “a type of music of black American origin characterized by improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm, emerging at the beginning of the 20th century. Brass and woodwind instruments and piano are particularly associated with jazz, although guitar and occasionally violin are also used; styles include Dixieland, swing, bebop, and free jazz.” (Google Definitions) However, despite how popular and loved this upbeat music was, it caused a lot of controversy in its time.
Despite the positivity the culture jazz brought to the country, many began to feel annoyed and even threatened.
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Many burned their records simply to keep warm on cold nights, and record players were no longer being produced. Jazz began to spread when bands would hold liver performances, free to view. The music allowed people who were scared for their family’s and own lives lose themselves in dancing and having wholesome fun. Music is the purest of medicine.
The hostility of people who disapproved of Jazz are the ones who started the issue. Using offensive slang terms and talking down on black communities. A genre of music that came to be solely to bring hope and joy to a broken country ended up to bring hatred instead. Despite that, jazz continued to evolve. Jazz turned into swing, a more dance based type of music, which lead to white Americans discovering the budding genre of music.
In the end, although there was much controversy towards the music, jazz ended up having an over all positive impact on the U.S. Not only did it lift the spirits of struggling people, it created a completely new culture and the main music genre of the decade. To this day thousands of people continue to love jazz and swing and it continues to impact music to this day. The moral of the story is, don’t allow people’s hate to deter a positive influence, especially in a time of struggle. As it can influence positively for generations to
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
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,
The birth of jazz music is often credited to African Americans, though it didn’t take long to expanded to America's white middle class. Jazz, therefore, was characterised by a meshing of African American traditions and ideals with white middle class societies. Big cities like New York and Chicago were
The Jazz Age was a national undertaking that took place in America during the 1920’s, also known as “the Roaring Twenties” from which both jazz music and dance emerged. Despite the era ending with the beginning of The Great Depression in the 1930’s, jazz has lived on in American pop culture. The birth of jazz music is often credited to African-Americans, but it soon expanded to America’s white middle class. This resulted in jazz being combined by both African-American traditions and ideals with white middle class society.
Jazz to me is one of the inherent expressions of Negro Life in America: the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul—the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world, a world of subway trains, and work, work, work; the tom-tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile. Yet the Philadelphia clubwoman… turns up her nose at jazz and all its manifestations—likewise almost anything else distinctly racial…She wants the artist to flatter her, to make the white world believe that all Negroes are as smug as near white in smug as she wants to be. But, to my mind, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist …to change through the hidden force of his art that old whispering “I want to be white,” hidden in the aspirations of his people, to “Why should I want to be white? I am Negro—and beautiful.”
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
Jazz to me is one of the inherent expressions of Negro life in America: the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul-the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world, a world of subway trains, and work, work; the tom-tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile. Yet the Philadelphia club woman , turns up her nose at jazz and all its manifetations-likewise almost anything else distinctly racial... She wants the artist to flatter her, to make the white world believe that all Negroes are as smug and as near white in soul as she wants to be. But, to my mind, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist, to change through the force of his art that old whispering "I want to be white, hidden in the aspirations of his people, to "Why should I want to he white? I am Negro-and beautiful"
This also affected the conservative populace of the suburbs who were afraid their young girls were mesmerized by the "black music." Jazz was so closely tied with to African American culture that it was often referred to as being "the accompaniment of the voodoo dancer" (Roaring 2). By referring to jazz in this manner, critics were trying to degrade and undermine everything that it meant to the black community. They were also trying to lure white Americans into their train of thought and trying to get them agree with their mind mapping accusations. "Many […] Americans were appalled to see their children dancing to music that was believed to have emerged from […] [the] Negro brothels of the south"(Roaring 2). In addition, a plethora of jazz critics became famous for voicing their dislike of jazz. But in fact, they hid behind their critiques of jazz in order to express, not the dislike of the music, "but the social and political dislike of the black population" (Anderson 135). The problem that worried white conservatives the most was interbreeding between black and white young people who were really into jazz mainly because it belonged to the new counter-culture. Jazz served as the highway that joined blacks and whites. Whites were not only racists towards blacks emotionally, but their prejudice expanded to influencing their physical behavior as well.
Not all whom listened to the music, will agree. The statement whereas jazz was a “moral disaster” to young girls is inaccurate because teenagers will choose to do whatever they want if it is morally wrong as a result of growing up and experiencing life. Regardless of what kind of music is playing, young teens will go as they please. As for the origins issue, people need to stop believing everything they hear. That issue was developed by a music critic of the New York Herald Tribune. How can everyone be so sure what that critic is saying is entirely true? III. Conclusion d. Both arguments of this catastrophic impact that jazz has had on all American people are very strong. Unfortunately, one side being stronger than the other. Opponents that opposed this argument had some valid points. Their strongest being- a moral disaster on young women. When they say young girls and guys have been spiraling out of their bodie’s sexual or emotional control, they are correct. The love of the genre might be pulling all types of different people together, that including of boys and girls. A girl and a boy find that they both have the same interest in jazz music, so they might get to know each other and so on. But, is that argument really an entire convincing explanation as to jazz being an annoyance or threat to the American people? This time period being the Great Depression, people struggle
Jazz music was a huge change in America. The music brought together many different people and opened up clubs mainly in the city. Jazz music allowed many new artists to emerge and become well known all throughout the country.
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
Jazz is consider one of the most influential types of music an America History. Some of the greatest artist in the world have contribute to the success jazz have had not only on America History but throughout the world. This paper will explain the history of jazz, where it all came from and the effect it has had on the America Culture.
Initially, the first jazz is said to have been played by funeral bands that wailed music full of soul and sadness as the followed horse drawn hearses down the streets of New Orleans. It was blues music though (Winfield 157). Many historians mark the start of the “Jazz Age” on November 12, 1917- the day the Department of the Navy closed a thirty-eight square-block neighborhood known as storyville in the city of New Orleans. Fearing the health of its sailors, the navy shut the doors of Storyville’s brothels and nightclubs, forcing
Before the jazz era erupted, classical music was the common music people listened to. In the early 1900’s many people were religious and enjoyed the classical composers. As Jazz came along, it differed in many ways compared to classical music. Jazz was more upbeat and appealed to more party goers than classical music did. Jazz was generally looked down upon by the religious community due to their “vulgar and ungodly” lyrics and the lifestyle that came with it. Many women and men who enjoyed jazz were stereotyped as rebels against the traditional culture. Along with jazz came with dances such as the charleston and the peabody which were characterized as sexual and provoking. Classical music to jazz music was a huge transition in that time period
Even though Jazz music was predominantly of African-American audiences, it grew to all listeners of music regardless of their race. But, if we look at the audience of today, the listeners of Jazz music are white. Jazz was also able to grow during its height because of the fact that music was able to be recorded. This gave everyone the ability to hear this genre of music, even if they were not able to go out and enjoy it live. Also during this time and through the mid-century Jazz was the dance music of Americans. Jazz in fact influenced the younger crowds in how they dressed, their language, as well as a certain attitude. Most of all, Jazz, more than most other music, has been firmly related with the societal, political, and financial impacts of American urban communities and in addition the changing status of American workmanship and music all through the