Jazz: Urban and Rural Reactions In the 1920s

As black artists merged the rhythms and feelings of West African music with the emotions of blues and ideas of ragtime and new type of music began to emerge from the South. With an eclectic mix of races, class and urban and rural environments, New Orleans came to be the center of early jazz development. The eventual explosion of jazz in the 1920s was foreshadowed by the quick rise to popularity jazz experienced in the city. Jazz music provided black artists with a possibility of relatively steady employment and eventually facilitated the dispersion of black culture throughout America. As jazz rose to popularity there was certainly a great deal of resistance on both musical and racial levels. Fearing perversions of moral and musical ideals, many whites resisted jazz initially. Once jazz experienced an increase in popularity revisionist histories appeared, removing black contribution or playing up white roles in the development of jazz. Segregation still appeared frequently as black bands could not get jobs playing to white

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.

Jazz was a hit in the 1920s, African Americans were given credit for leading the jazz industry, the Jazz industry had an amazing impact on many other popular cultures. Jazz was the favorite type of music among the flappers. The Jazz age was known to be powered by the prohibition of alcohol.

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"

The 1920’s was a time of innovation, creativity, and recklessness, causing a need for a new style of music. Jazz was fast-paced, upbeat, and very adaptive and it would go hand-in-hand with hedonistic lifestyle, truly giving the 20’s the title of The Jazz Age.

     During the 1920’s which is also known as the “Roaring Twenties”, Chicago became the focal point for Jazz after clubs around New Orleans were closed. Record deals were being made there and soon Jazz was being acknowledged for the brilliant music it played. Famous musicians who received acclaim for their work in Chicago were Earl Hines, Johnny Dodds, Louis Armstrong, and King Oliver. In New York City, it

The Jazz Age was a cultural movement that took place in America during the 1920 's (also known as "the Roaring Twenties") from which both jazz music and dance emerged. This movement matched with both the equally phenomenal introduction of mainstream radio and the conclusion of World War I. The 1920s was the decade that marked the beginning of the modern music era. Some of the popular music genres were Jazz, Dance Bands, Blues, and Broadway. The decade marked the beginning of independent record companies, smaller operations that weren’t afraid to take a chance on music and artists that the bigger companies shied away from.

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

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.”

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

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

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 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.

In the article, “Birthplace of Jazz,” Naydja Bynum writes that jazz “...is not an invention. It's alive. It grows, it dies, it changes, it stays the same” (Bynum). Many aspects of society in the 1920’s contributed to the life jazz music brought to the world and the impact it continues to have on modern music today. Post-war strains, racial segregation, and the wild, carefree life of the of the era had the greatest influence on the music of the 1920’s.

Much of this shunning came from the fact that jazz had deep roots in African-American culture. J.A. Rogers, a popular Harlem Renaissance writer, described jazz music as “one part American and three parts American Negro.” This fact didn't sit well with the racist population that made up a large part of the American people at the time; one can imagine that many white parents would have a problem with their sons and daughters enjoying something that came in part from people they viewed as inferior. The genre's affiliation with Storyville, a red-light district of New Orleans, didn't help either, as much of the music was first played within the