What is Jazz? Jazz is a musical style originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions. Jazz has freely imported influences from diverse cultural and musical elements, forming a type of music that has been accepted as uniquely American. Some older African American music (such as blues, gospel, etc. ), and the music is rooted in its African American music traditions of Africa, created by combining with their experiences from reality life.
The American and Western music is more inclined to this music genre. It became the foundation stone for the different music forms namely jazz, rhythm and blues, heavy metal, bluegrass and hip-hop. The blues mainly reflect the mood of the singer i.e. depression, down hearted feeling or sadness. The Blues word was used for the first time in George Colman’s farce’s ‘Blue Devils’.
During the Harlem Renaissance, the famous jazz musician, Duke Ellington was able to find his place in the era. He became internationally known when he became the bandleader at a Harlem nightclub, the Cotton Club. Music was influential during this time period
One of the most striking takeaways from the movie is the extreme poverty of the Mississippi region and the influence this had on Delta Blues music. One of the most famous Delta Blues artists of the era was John Lee Hooker, who explained in the movie that life was brutal in the Delta region. One of Hooker’s most famous songs was “Boogie Chillen” which came out in 1948. This song may not be considered Delta Blues and includes an electronic guitar. “Boogie Chillen” includes repeated rifts and power chords produced by a twangy electric guitar, a raspy voice and a tapping foot to keep the beat.
One specific race that has been highly affected by music are African Americans. Music has been prolific in uplifting the African American race. Breaking barriers in the world that may have never been reached without music. Therefore, music can be seen as the catalyst to the evolutionary change in the African American community. With the creation of economic progress, finical stability, and respect
Before Jazz, music was enjoyed in fancy balls and theaters by the rich. Due to the great migration and freedom of slavery, a new form of music spreads through the US. In the roaring Twenties Jazz affected society by increasing the African American Culture, allowing women to rebel social standards, helping form a new genera of literature, and formed a new Dance. Jazz was a largely African American music, an early American made music, and was born during the Harlem Renaissance. One of the first American made music was Jazz it generated from Ragtime and Blues.
The invention of specific instruments, especially ones used in Jazz, Swing, and other band types help create a new sound and an ultimately new type of music. The development and evolution of the early twentieth century music genre, Jazz, holds a much more prestigious importance than just a genre of music. This African American style of music created during a time of severe hatred and oppression influenced an entire nation and its idea of popular music forever. The installment of Jazz in whites’ only entertainment lounges helped the progression and ultimately adaptation what was once an only African American style of music into a National style adopted by all races. Popular artists from New Orleans who helped create Jazz such as Louis Armstrong, Joe oliver, and Fletcher Henderson were some of the major influences of Jazz on music and its transformation into swing music during the 1920s and 1930s.
Harlem Renaissance: Outburst of Creativity The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic movement in American history wherein the uniqueness and creativity of African American culture was celebrated. Situated in the black community in uptown New York, the Harlem Renaissance developed a body of artistic talent which had never been seen in America (Ferguson, 24). Instead of wallowing in self-pity, African Americans ignited an explosion of culturist pride. They asserted themselves by embracing their racial identity, appreciating their heritage. Harlem became home to black people, many of whom had dreams and aspirations of expressing their individual artistic talents.
By 1943 he began a series of annual concerts at Carnegie Hall, which was an indication of how much jazz was now accepted in prestigious western classical concert venues. Ellington used this opportunity to write longer and more ambitious works in several movements, like the epic musical history of African-American life, Black, Brown and Beige. Between 1927 and 1931 the Ellington Orchestra played its most famous residency. At the Cotton Club in Harlem, the band backed ‘jungle’ dance-theatre routines in a variety of shows, part of a new popular interest in African-American culture later known as the Harlem Renaissance. During the Cotton Club years, the Ellington band
However, jazz gained a wide audience when white orchestras adapted or imitated it, and became legitimate entertainment in the late 1930s when Benny Goodman led racially mixed groups in concerts at Carnegie Hall. Show tunes became common vehicles for performance, and, while the results were exquisite, rhythmic and harmonic developments were impeded until the mid-1940s. The blues, vocal and instrumental, was and is a vital component of jazz. With the passing of time, New Orleans jazz declined greatly by the 1970s. However it began to enjoy a bit of renaissance in the 1980s when Wynton Marsalis, who originally played hard bop and post bop, began to explore his roots.