Up until the 1930's, the dissemination of jazz had been constrained to a select number of large, lucky cities. The reason for this is straightforward: in order for jazz to happen, somebody has to be right there playing it and, much of the time, somebody has to be paying for it. While there were plenty of musicians to go around, they were all attracted to the uninhibited, unselfconscious city districts where the carefree, rebellious atmosphere welcomed jazz performances. There were not a whole lot of gig opportunities being offered in isolated, backwater villages. Jazz was still experiencing its adolescence in the shadows of counter culture, and whites were appropriately intrigued by the new style of music, but ultimately considered it black music for black people. Race was not a particularly contentious issue in this facet of American life, but this would change drastically with the arrival of the 30's.
The new decade brought with it the near ubiquitous presence of radio in American life. This small, unassuming consumer good succeeded in creating a national identity and culture the likes of which had never before been wrought. People from Los Angeles to New York and anybody in between could listen to the same baseball game, State of the Union address, or, if they were so inclined, a swing record. Now even those most far removed from the hotbeds of jazz innovation like New Orleans and New York could soak up the boldest, most energetic sounds of the day. And they did listen. Jazz can be compared to rock and roll in the way that it originated as a rebellion against the trending musical styles and was relished by a small minority, and later gained exposure and broke out as a mainstream sensation. The market for swing music was massive. Benny Goodman, considered the father of the swing genre, "set the blueprint for stardom, with its celebration of an almost religious fervor in fans" (Gioia, p. 412 ebook). One might assume that this skyrocketing demand for jazz would induce a skyrocketing number of opportunities for jazz musicians. Wrong. Before, a jazz ensemble could entertain a cabaret, or even a theater full of people. Now, one group was capable of reaching the ears of thousands of listeners simultaneously.
The other phenomenon that accompanied the beginning of the 1930's was the Great Depression. The stock market is in shambles. The fields are dust. The pantry is empty. The unemployment rate is 33% (probably an underestimate). Working men who were once in a position to support the arts are no longer in a position to do so. The walls are closing in on all sides for jazz musicians. Gigs were already becoming more and more scarce ever since the radio consolidated fame to such a large degree, and now they are becoming more scarce because people are too poor to listen.
This fight for gigs coincides with the popularity of swing with white audiences. White musicians now had a greater interest in beating their black counterparts for playing opportunities, to maintain the "honor" of the white race. It was not a level playing field: "That swing's massive popularity worked to the detriment of black bands by inspiring white imitations of the music that proved more acceptable to a mass audience has been well documented." (Swing Changes, p. 122).All of a sudden a very serious issue emerged in critical music publications. Who was better at this? Blacks or whites? The bragging rights associated with dominating the most popular genre of the era were at stake.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Blog #2: Chicago vs. New York City
After its origin in New Orleans, jazz started to diffuse into other metropolitan hubs of the United States. The two most notable incubators for jazz music following New Orleans were Chicago and New York City. It is not difficult to argue the case for Chicago's tremendous influence in the growth of jazz. Some of the most notable musician's in history performed extensively in Chicago, among them Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, and Jimmy Noone. Chicago produced a unique style that one author characterized as "a freely-expressed, romantic, 'anything goes' approach which ignored the unwritten laws and precepts of New Orleans style." (Chicagoans, page 159).
Despite the evolution which transpired in Chicago, New York City was simply more important to jazz in the 1920's. All of the action was happening in Harlem. During this time period, the borough was a paradox. Harlem represented an unprecedented environment for black Americans. Instead of operating on the fringes of a hostile society, blacks were able to form a strong community where creativity could flourish and people could produce works of literature, poetry, and music without relying on validation from the overbearing white society. However, while the hallmarks of a rich culture were forming, the grim economic realities of the era were plaguing the common man. For some, the only buffer between oneself and homeless was a bed he rented during the hours he was not working. Rather than hinder, this poverty boosted the popularity of jazz in Harlem. People would throw "rent parties" where dozens of people would pay a few quarters to squeeze into an apartment to listen to some of the most innovative jazz musicians of the day. The problem of next month's rent payment and the thirst for community entertainment were satisfied in one blow. Gioia sums up the paradox more cogently than I could hope to. "True, the Harlem Renaissance created an ideology, a cultural context for jazz. But the Harlem of rent parties and underground economics created music." (Gioia, ebook page 286).
The New York style of jazz was delivered via piano--Harlem stride piano. This style of playing was similar to ragtime playing, and from a technical standpoint, extremely complex and challenging. The most influential stride piano players was James P. Johnson. He was very aware of his function as a pianist in relation to the dancers with which he was performing. The typical form of ragtime involved returning to previous themes, and Johnson moved past this in "Carolina Shout". He "feeds the dancers' feet with a fresh rhythmic idea" ("James P. Johnson", page 33) and implements the call and response pattern, which would later attain near ubiquity in jazz pieces. Stride piano is considered the gap between ragtime and later jazz.
Despite the evolution which transpired in Chicago, New York City was simply more important to jazz in the 1920's. All of the action was happening in Harlem. During this time period, the borough was a paradox. Harlem represented an unprecedented environment for black Americans. Instead of operating on the fringes of a hostile society, blacks were able to form a strong community where creativity could flourish and people could produce works of literature, poetry, and music without relying on validation from the overbearing white society. However, while the hallmarks of a rich culture were forming, the grim economic realities of the era were plaguing the common man. For some, the only buffer between oneself and homeless was a bed he rented during the hours he was not working. Rather than hinder, this poverty boosted the popularity of jazz in Harlem. People would throw "rent parties" where dozens of people would pay a few quarters to squeeze into an apartment to listen to some of the most innovative jazz musicians of the day. The problem of next month's rent payment and the thirst for community entertainment were satisfied in one blow. Gioia sums up the paradox more cogently than I could hope to. "True, the Harlem Renaissance created an ideology, a cultural context for jazz. But the Harlem of rent parties and underground economics created music." (Gioia, ebook page 286).
The New York style of jazz was delivered via piano--Harlem stride piano. This style of playing was similar to ragtime playing, and from a technical standpoint, extremely complex and challenging. The most influential stride piano players was James P. Johnson. He was very aware of his function as a pianist in relation to the dancers with which he was performing. The typical form of ragtime involved returning to previous themes, and Johnson moved past this in "Carolina Shout". He "feeds the dancers' feet with a fresh rhythmic idea" ("James P. Johnson", page 33) and implements the call and response pattern, which would later attain near ubiquity in jazz pieces. Stride piano is considered the gap between ragtime and later jazz.
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