Jazz eventually evolved from a radical and unacceptable music genre to a great and distinctly American expression of art. Jazz initially faced significant opposition because it was different; it featured a lot of improvisation and originated from African American culture. Underlying racism was a significant factor in jazz's initial opposition, and it was described as "barbaric and immoral." Before jazz became a national interest, many music educators tried to dissuade young people from listening to jazz, telling them that European classical music was the only "good music."
But jazz musicians kept playing. New Orleans became the first center of jazz, with jazz clubs popping up all over the city. Because black musicians were not allowed to play in many traditional establishments, jazz became associated with less reputable venues. However, people still flocked to these clubs to hear these up and coming jazz musicians, and jazz's popularity skyrocketed.
The more popular jazz became, the more campaigns that were started to censor "the devil's music." Early opponents such as Thomas Edison ridiculed jazz, saying that "it sounds better played backwards." By the end of the twenties, over 60 communities passed laws that prohibited jazz in public dance halls.
The Great Migration, during which hundreds of thousands of African Americans fled the South to the industrial cities of the North, greatly expanded the influence of jazz. Musicians from New Orleans and other Southern cities brought jazz with them to the North, leading to Chicago becoming the new center of jazz. The city's South Side was dotted with over 100 clubs, and poet Langston Hughes wrote "midnight was like day," referring to the city's new jazz-filled nightlife.
The passage of the Prohibition in 1920 led to jazz being brought into gangster-run nightclubs, which served both white and black customers. Jazz, which started off as predominately black, was being introduced to white youth of all social standings in these clubs, greatly contributing to jazz's growth during the decade.
Furthermore, jazz recordings allowed the music to spread beyond the city clubs. Radio and recordings of jazz eventually became more popular than the nightclubs, and New York replaced Chicago as the center of jazz during the Harlem Renaissance. The animosity towards jazz eventually dissipated, and it became accepted as the nation's chief cultural expression.
Source:
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/beyond/jazz.html
This was a great, informative article. I think it's so interesting that jazz, which over the years has become such a classic sound associated with the 20s and 30s was considered such a taboo by so many. Jazz would probably be considered one of the greatest styles of American music that has emerged over its existence, along with country, R&B, rock n' roll, and pop. What's incredibly fascinating to me is the amount of influence black artists have had on American music over the years. All of these genres, just like jazz, have black influence at their roots and were originally considered taboo and disgraceful but are now essential parts of the American music sound.
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I agree with Kenneth. Jazz is appreciated by such a wider audience in more recent times. How such an artistic outlet could be argued to be controversial is very intriguing to me. It's also interesting to see how jazz followed the Great Migration. Connecting to the technology being produced during this time, the radio, as you introduced, allowed to air and spread the the popularity of jazz. I found a little something online that connects the production of the radio specifically with what you've discussed.
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Cody, thank you for such an interesting blog post. I liked how you explained the significance jazz to the time period we are learning about now. I also found that although the creation of jazz music is credited to African American artists, white jazz artists still got more air time on radio stations, showing the continue of racism.
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Interesting post! I found it really interesting that it was called "the devil's music," especially because it is so beloved today.Your connection of jazz with other events during that era, such as the Great Migration and Prohibition helped me contextualize the budding genre against various social and political movements. I found an article about jazz during the time of the Great Depression, as many people danced to the tunes of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, and Tommy Dorsey to forget the hardships of daily life.
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