Jazz In America

Yesterday & TodayBy Chris Jackson

Period 4 APUSH

FocusJazz culture serves as a reflection of the

time period, continually evolving while remaining true to its original roots as a

vehicle of individual expression.• How has African-American influence shaped the

evolution of jazz music?• What were the prominent styles of jazz throughout the

20th century?• How has jazz evolved to reflect the time period?• How does contemporary music show its roots in jazz?

What Is Jazz?• West Coast slang referring to the

music of Chicago around 1915• There were several basic features

that remain true even today:• Improvisation• Syncopation• Blue notes• Polyrhythms• Swung notes

These elements represented a

distinct breakaway from the traditional European music of

the time}

African-American Background

• Jazz is a result of African-American and European contact

• Based on the “call-and-response” pattern of African oral tradition• Served as a raw and energetic rebuttal of what was musically acceptable at the time, and became the voice of a generation of African-American youth

Creoles• Free colored peoples living in

French dominated New Orleans• As offspring of French masters and

African slaves, they enjoyed rights similar to those of whites

• Many of them lost these privileges when the Spanish took over in 1764

• Some became traveling musicians, resulting in the evolution of the Southern minstrel show and widespread exposure to African music

1920s “Jazz Age”• During WWI, the Great Migration of

African-Americans to the north sparked the jazz scene in Chicago and New York

• Jazz was part of the Harlem Renaissance, a celebration and outpouring of African-American creativity

• Prohibition encouraged many whites to visit the nightclubs of Harlem, where they were exposed to jazz performers

• The invention of the radio further increased jazz’s popularity and its growth nationwide Eddie Ross,

1921, Ross’s Reel

1930s “Swing”

• It also served as a form of dance music

• Optimistic – attempted to boost morale in the face of the Great Depression

• Benny Goodman Quartet – the first racially integrated band

Prominent artists: Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong

• Jazz was performed primarily in a big band setting with about 20 musicians

Duke Ellington, 1941, Take The ‘A’

Train

1940s “Bebop”• Characterized primarily by

significantly faster tempos and complex lines

• Chordal improvisation – primary focus on the soloing aspect as opposed to the melody

• 1947 – The University of North Texas became the first US university to offer a degree in jazz studies

1967, Thelonious MonkProminent artists: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie

Charlie Parker, 1946, Yardbird

Suite

1950s “Beat Generation”

• Counter cultural movement of writers protesting primarily against conformity in society

• Free Jazz Movement – turned jazz into a way to challenge racism

• The evolution of rhythm and blues into rock and roll as a high art form

1960 Max Roach album, We Insist! – Freedom Now

1970s - “Fusion”• Mixture of jazz

improvisation with rock music’s energy and rhythms

• Smooth jazz – influenced by R&B, funk and pop

• Complex time signatures and rhythmic patterns, especially in guitar, base and drums

1989, Miles Davis

Prominent artists: Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter

Mahavishnu Orchestra, 1973,

Birds of Fire

Contemporary Jazz• Smooth jazz –

downtempo• Mostly successful in

radio format, both traditional and online

• Increasing popularity of jazz worldwide, especially in Japan and Europe

Prominent artists: Roy Hargrove, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard

Kenny G, 1986, Songbird

Jazz & Hip Hop• Jazz rap progressed

through the 1980s and 90s, incorporating jazz influence into hip hop

• Early hip hop group Gang Starr released several albums sampling jazz classics as instrumentals

• Similar roots of free artistic expression and raw, energetic rebellion

Courtney Pine, 2000, The Jazzstep

Legacy• “Jazz is also the most inclusive.

It’s a music that will take anything” – Gerald Early

• “It is from the blues that all that may be called American music derives its most distinctive characteristics” – James Weldon Johnson

• “Jazz is hereby designated as a rare and valuable national American treasure” – H. Con. Res. 57 (1987)

Answers (1)• How has African-American influence shaped

the evolution of jazz music?

• Creoles• African oral tradition• Many early jazz musicians were African-

American• Free Jazz Movement – challenging racism

Answers (2)• What were the prominent styles of jazz

throughout the 20th century?

• Swing• Bebop• Fusion• Contemporary (smooth)

Answers (3)• How has jazz evolved to reflect the time

period?

• Rebelliousness – breaking away from European music

• Protesting against racism and discrimination• Mixing with other genres of music

Answers (4)• How does contemporary music show its

roots in jazz?

• Early hip hop used jazz samples• Similar roots of rebelliousness and

individuality• Spontaneity (rap)

Sources• http://www.examiner.com/jazz-music-in-nashville/111th-congress-

reaffirms-jazz-as-a-national-treasure-and-honors-miles-davis-kind-of-blue

• http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/cja/jazzmaps/ctlframe.htm• http://www.jazzistry.org/timeline.html• http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/su/cja/greatmigration.html• http://www.spirit-mag.com/spirit/index.php?id=92• http://www.apassion4jazz.net/timeline.html• http://articles.cnn.com/2008-08-15/entertainment/hiphop.jazz_1_hip-

hop-jazz-history-of-african-american-people?_s=PM:SHOWBIZ• http://jazz.about.com/od/historyjazztimeline/a/JazzCivilRights.htm