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How jazz changed culture
Essay about the cultural influence of jazz
How jazz music influence the American culture
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Rough Beginnings It was 1915 and the music scene was just getting hot. New Orleans was busting at the seam with young cats prowling the streets, lurking in seedy after-hours clubs looking to get a wild jam session in before the night was through. An insanely talented and equally arrogant ragtime pianist by the name of Jelly Roll Morton began to play with a different kind of flavor that drove audiences crazy, and with that the invention of Jazz was born. The heavy syncopated beats making your pulse jump, the bluesy lilt of a melody lapping lazily at your senses; this was the time to be alive.
Jazz has shaped the world we know today. Jazz would have never been as popular without the help of the famous musicians: Jelly Roll Morton, Joe King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. These people helped spread the new genre through radio, railroads, and the records that they played. Where did this all start? The jazz age began in New Orleans where a certain King was born.
1. Louis Armstrong (04/8/1901 - 06/7/1971) Famous for playing trumpet, but Louis Armstrong is also a talented jazz singer. His hoarse, deep voice made the audience excited. He also improvises jazz jokes.
The “Jazz Age”, also known as the Roaring Twenties, is a period in the history of America that began after World War I. It is considered the “Jazz Age” because of the new style of music/ dance styles that had become popular at the time. When the words “Jazz Age” are said, people most likely think of Louis Armstrong or Duke Ellington: two of the most influential musical artists who changed the way we knew music. There are tons of important people that contributed to the progression of the early 1920’s that aren’t as well known. Among the people that had influence towards the world that we have now was Dorothy Parker.
James Brown is another person in my era who was very popular and well known for his influence on music as well the introducing of a drug into the lime light PCP. Brown was born extreme poverty but worked his way to be one of the greatest of the funk and R&B music making people give him the nick name "The Godfather of Soul." His musical style influenced many artists to come. Brown was also known for his crazy personal life, as well as role in activism for the black community in combination in his songwriting and advocating for the benefits of education to the
Jazz is most often thought to have been started in the 1920s as this explosive movement, but that is in fact not the case. Starting in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century many African American musicians have started to explore their taste in improvising, and where better to do that than New Orleans (Anderson). Before the 1920s these jazz musicians have already been going around sharing the unique sound, but up until then, jazz had remained majorly in New Orleans. Interestingly during this period, a common jazz band would consist of a cornet, a clarinet, a trombone, and a rhythm section when at this period of time the clarinet is not commonly associated with being a jazz instrument, it moved into being the saxophone rather. A big
Some of them included Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Jimmy Lunceford. Interestingly enough, because of the popularity of the music, African Americans were able to produce music and bring it into white society for them to listen to. These African American musicians also influenced many of the white musicians as well. White jazz musicians had taken inspiration from black jazz music for many years, but because of swing, they became even more deeply devoted to integrating this music to blacks and whites. Benny Goodman was one of these white musicians.
Popular Jazz musicians included King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory, and Duke Ellington. No one had quite heard anything like it before in America. Dances were made to accompany the music - mostly to "take advantage" of the upbeat tempo's. Before Jazz became popular in America, it was considered "the devil's music" by some of the public. Some people, like Ernest Newman, "debunked Jazz" in a 1927 magazine article.
From receiving heavy criticism due to a variety of factors to being the most popular musical genre for Canadians during the Great Depression, jazz music has been responsible for uplifting people’s spirits, shaping cities and changing the face of music. Prohibition and racial tensions in the United States attracted talent, whether immigrants were seeking employment in film or pursuing a career in jazz. The Golden Age of Radio also contributed to jazz’s success, leading jazz to be the most popular genre of the 1930s. It is often forgotten that Canada is home to some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, like Oscar Peterson. Jazz is not only an American concept, contrary to popular
Quenci Crawford February 16th, 2018 Listen, Respect, Work Hard Class of: 2025 Jazz History The Jazz Age The Jazz Age was considered a World War I movement in the 1920s. Jazz dances also emerged from this movement. Some examples of these dances were: The Shimmy, The Black Bottom and The Varsity Drag.
The history, popularity and influence of jazz on human culture make it the seminal American art form. The origins of jazz music are central to its identity and its importance in the American story. Firstly, ragtime
Billie Holiday was one of the first black females to be hired to tour around the South, along with a white swing band when she joined Artie Shaw and his orchestra in 1938. The name “Crooners” became popular in the 1930s. Bing Crosby was also considered a crooner, but wasn’t necessarily the teen type idol, but became one of the first multi-media stars. He was on top of the charts in best selling musicians and also obtained recordings with popular orchestras and found success with going solo and running a weekly radio show. His music, along with his voice quickly spread and made so many people want to listen to his music, which had a bass-baritone kind of voice.
“During the 1930s and early 1940s the predominant jazz style was swing. Swing, a dance-oriented style, typically was played in ballrooms by big bands of fourteen or more musicians.” (Thomas, pg.4) The role played by African Americans within the system during this era was revolutionary. The American public had become familiar and happy with big-band swing.
Of all the influential musicians in the time period, there were none better than Jelly Roll Morton, Joe King Oliver, Sidney Bichet, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. Each artist has their own story, and their own reason for the end of their career. Some lived their life out in fame and glory, while others were shown the more dramatic side of life. Their upbringing may differ, but they all had one thing in common; a lasting contribution for not only the Jazz Era, but for all other generations and genres of music to come. Jelly Roll Morton was fortunate enough to be
There are many reasons behind so many new forms of jazz; however three in particular stand out to me the most: to make others happy, in response to the war, and the need to experiment. In the 1930’s, jazz reached new levels of sophistication in the Swing Era, reflecting America’s need for self-esteem following the Great Depression. The World War II era witnessed rapid changes in American tastes as well as logistics of making music. The decline of large ensembles in favor of the jazz combo was the major reason for the style to head towards bebop.
