Blog #5 - A Reflection

I came into this class not knowing what was in store. Signing up, my main motivation for taking it was the fulfillment of multiple requirements, and its ability to nicely fit into my schedule. The journey that I then go on was more than I could ever hope for. I can truly say that I did not know anything about Jazz before starting this class, besides the random name or two that would pop up in conversation. I never understood how influential Jazz was on everything from culture and music, as well as racial issues in general. Jazz has the ability to accumulate the ethics and cultures from numerous different groups and compose something beautiful that was previously unknown.

Some of the key aspects of jazz that I came to appreciate this year are its geographic dispersion, its ability to captivate racial issues, and it's overall sense of community. Jazz took off like a wildfire, and when it did it was able to encapsulate some of the biggest cities in the United States, and later the world. The way that people were so apt to come an listen made it apparent how excited they were about the new changes, as they transformed from classical to jazz and later to sub-genres of jazz such as bebop. It became a universal language that was accepted everywhere and people didn't have to talk to understand and appreciate.

The ability of jazz to overcome some of the original racial boundaries was a fantastic and courageous time. Places such as Leimert Park, where atrocious activities were taking place, showed how the community could come together to make something out of a terrible situation. 5th Street Dicks Coffee and Jazz emporium was a keystone that aided in the rebuilding of a damaged neighborhood. It was the introduction of jazz and an open mic that helped the community open up with each other and become whole again.

One of my favorite parts that I've come to understand this year is Jazz's appreciation for community. The music requires the artist and the audience to become a single unit and incorporate a "call and response" setting that is very unique to the genre and something that is highly memorable if you get to witness it. Miles Davis left the best musical school in the world, for what he called "the scene". "Right off the bat, I didn't like what was happening at Juilliard. The shit they was talking about was too white for me. Plus, I was more inter-ested in what was happening in the jazz scene; that's the real reason I wanted to come to New York in the first place, to get into the jazz music scene that was happening around Minton's Playhouse in Har-lem, and what was going on down on 52nd Street, which everybody in music called "The Street."" (Davis, 52). If the main man of jazz couldn't resist it, who are we to even try?

Commented On Noah Rubin

Art + Community = Blog Post Four

Art and community are a common theme that go back decades, if not centuries. It's easy to form a mutualistic relationship between the two as they can easily build off of each other and develop to make each other stronger. Examples of this are make in New York with Thelonius Monk at San Juan Hill and in a current day Leimert Park in Los Angeles. The Film, “Leimert Park” and Robin Kelly’s, “Thelonious Monk” are golden examples of communities that worked together through hardships of violence, poverty and racial segregation to form a community that was greater than the single problems they faced and were able to create a musical background that projected them into a more cohesive unit.

San Juan Hill became a community hub for Thelonius Monk as he was able to perform for countless races and classes. He was surrounded by tremendous art and culture, and his artistic abilities were able to fully thrive in this expanded and diverse community. The Columbus Hill Community center was an epicenter where Monk was able to stage his performances and relatively commit as his basecamp. These opportunities in New York allow him to grow into the performer and artist that he later became as he was able to be influenced by numerous artists in the great New York area.

Leimert Park became significant for slightly different reasons. While it was still an artistic hub much like that of San Juan Hill. The people of Leimert Park became significant because they were able to rise up together against the segregation of the era and the outlying community. Even as the Race Wars worked their ways through the neighborhood, the people of the community decided that it was important to stand together to protect the artistic endeavors that they had accomplished so that it wouldn't be ruined by the misguided hatred of the wars. Dick's Coffee Shop became a place where people could come together and not have to worry about the terrors that lie outside of the neighborhood. People would stay up until very late hours, just listening to music or playing chess outside on the tables. This was a group of people that meshed together to create their own ideals of community and to tread the way for other neighborhoods to come.

The communities of San Juan Hill and Leimert Park were brought back to their full potential through the recreation of a strong art system and a community that worked to bring back everything the artistic community had to offer. While the styles slightly differed, with San Juan hill holding a "for profit" mojo and Leimert Park playing for the betterment of the genre and the self-fulfillment of the artist and the community, it was definitely an indicator of forward progress. Despite the distracting and dangerous outer communities that worked around these two neighborhoods, the people of San Juan Hill and Leimert Park were able to come together to symbiotically create a artistic mecca.

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Blog #3 Racism to the Forefront

Given that race has always been a discourse in the history of jazz, why did race become explicitly written and talked about in the 1930’s in the “Swing Era?”


It wasn't until the 30s that Jazz really began to blow up nationwide as a genre. It could be easily argued that it was the life of most parties, and with the deliverance of radio gave it an even easier avenue into any household. No longer were the barriers of distance, race or affluence a main factor, now the music could easily be accessed wherever someone wanted to listen. 

With the onset of the great depression, many people lost their jobs and resorted to other means to support their families. It was during this time that the style of swing jazz became extremely popular nationwide, and also a time for white performers to better penetrate the highly segregated genre and profession. "Racially, jazz was perceived as uncouth and primitive, a variety of music associated with African Americans, and the arena for a dangerous social miscegenation" (Swing Changes, 53). This was changed with the new exposure that white artists were receiving from the radio. 

The increased social tension that resulted from the new competitive nature of swing jazz led to many black artists being "pushed" out of the genre. Without connections and privilege, which most of the white musicians had, the black artists were unable to compete regardless of their competency in their performance. While the listener was relatively unable to discern the color the performers skin on the radio, the radio station had the authority to determine who they allowed to play on their station - which was a major roadblock for many black bands. 

With the white emergence into a normally black populated musical realm. It became impossible to not bring the issue to inequality to the forefront. Potentially out of fear of revolution or mob style revolt, some of the population began to move towards the discussion of connection and an equal playing field, where before it was nonexistent. While this is far from equality, it was a monumental first step in its direction. 


Commented on Addison Jerlow

Blog #2 Windy City Vs. The Big Apple

Which city was more important to jazz in the 1920s--Chicago or New York? What role did the particular social, economic, and racial conditions of that city play in creating the cultural conditions for jazz to triumph in that city?  Was there a Chicago or New York style of jazz (depending on which of the two cities you choose)? If so, what was it, who played it, and what distinguished it from other styles?  Whose (band or individual) art best represents the culture and community of the city you choose?  Why?  Please provide references. 

When trying to compare the differences between Chicago and New York jazz, it's equivalent to attempting to compare the flavors of apples and oranges. Both of them are delicious in their own way, but that's what makes them so great - the difference. Chicago brought together a new style of Jazz. The jazz that was formed was as close to organized chaos as it can be, with performers learning every rule they can just so they can break the rules. It wasn't unusual for someone to play out of tune, or to go out on a limb and play by themselves. That in itself was another benefit from Chicago's style of music, it was able to fully incorporate the soloist into the performance. No longer were the days of the ensemble as the main event, now there were headliners that people wanted to see perform. "Well before the middle of the decade, a large cadre of major New Orleans jazz musicians left New Orleans around 1908..." (Gioia, Pg 43). People like Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton were really able to branch out and express themselves more openly in a place that wasn't as full of hatred and segregation. 

While Chicago catered more to the development of jazz as a genre, New York brought more to the development of jazz as entertainment. New York was a breeding ground for the transport of African American music to the white ear. Everywhere from Broadway to the clubs in Harlem, high-class whites could appreciated the new style of music that becoming more prevalent on the east coast. "At the height of the Jazz Age, Harlem featured eleven nightclubs that catered to high-class whites, as well as "five hundred colored cabarets of lower ranks" (Gioia, Pg. 117). This is simply an attest to how anxious well-off white people were to watch the performance. 

While both of these locations have a strong aspect in the growth and development of jazz, I believe that Chicago was more beneficial to the growth of jazz as a musical essence. Without the birth of the soloist or the new styles that were developed in this region, it is hard for me to imagine it would reach the forefront of the Chicago entertainment industry in the same manner that it was able to do. 

Blog #1 - New Orleans Takes Off

Why did jazz emerge in New Orleans instead of other American cities early in the 20th century? What were some of the sources of New Orleans jazz as mentioned by Gioia? How would you weight the contribution of Mexican immigrants to New Orleans jazz? After considering the evidence that Gioia presents, what do you believe was the most important factor that explains why jazz emerged in New Orleans? What was distinctive about the jazz New Orleans created?

Due to New Orlean's location at the base of the Mississippi River, it led to the city having an influx of immigrants traveling down the river. It was considered a melting pot, or an accumulation of people from all different backgrounds, and this is what helped it develop such a rich and diverse musical heritage. Each of these different cultural groups had styles and customs that were unique, but when fermented with other cultures created a entirely new juxtaposition that worked. 

While Jazz was thought to have been created in the brothels themselves of the Red Light district (also known as Storyville and The District) in New Orleans, research by Donald Marquis, a leading expert on New Orleans jazz, found that it was more likely to have started in the cabarets and dance halls that were in  the District. (Gioia, Pg 29)

Jazz was built from the roots of classical and blues music, but before this the cultural mix was also a breeding ground for hybrid styles such as cajun, zydeco, and blues. With a mix of new cultures, it was inevitable that certain players would want to stand out. With the help of many Mexican classical teachers, such as Lorenzo Tio Sr, and Lorenzo Tio Jr., Jazz artists became the artists that they are known as today. (Johnson, 226) After the 1884 World Exposition, many members of the Mexican National Band were unable or simply didn't wish to go back. Those that stayed joined regional bands or distributed their skills as teachers for many of the up-and coming artists. While it is debatable as to how much creativity the jazz artists received from their mentors, there can be little to no question about the technical skills that they received. 

After considering many points to the argument, the most important factor appears to be the great diaspora of people that were forced together in New Orleans. Their ability to work together and compete with each other led to a musical hot bed that was unlike anywhere else in the United States, possibly the world. This urge, or even need to make music led to breakthroughs and edgier music that was played throughout the city to all walks of life, be it a wealthy parlor hall or the dirty lobby in "The District". Influential factors such as the Mexican contribution were also vital, as it allowed the jazz players to have a sense of technic and harmony. 


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Post Zero - The Beginning