Blog #3: Racial Realities in the Limelight of Swing

In spite of prevalent discrimination in the United States, black musicians spread the musical influence of jazz by relocating to an urban environment, where it was far more likely to gain both profit and popularity from a primarily white audience. However, the hypocrisy of racial divisions persisted even as the era of Swing began, and despite the skill of many talented African Americans, it became painfully obvious that racism influenced more than the spatial dimension of music. The Swing era was an opportunity for white people to learn the harsh reality some of their fellow Americans endured every day, and through both a political and cultural discussion of jazz, the Swing Era brought discrimination and prejudice to the forefront of American discussion.

Jazz was far greater than simply a black service to a general audience, and it is around the Swing Era that many forget its original roots, likely a cause of the invention of radio (Stewart, Lecture). While it is evident that jazz’s founder were primarily African American, the assimilation of the genre into mainstream society would have never happened if it was regarded as a solely black music. As a result of integration into the public sphere, jazz gained a patriotic, capitalist, reputation that extended to its founders. In Swing Changes, the author states, “Jazz represented a musical thumbing of the nose at fascism, to its proselytizers, was above all, a democratic music, a product of ‘the people’, accessible to all classes and cultural types… (Swing Changes 53). The association with jazz with American values and individuality soared during the Swing Era, and though this may not be the dialogue jazz musicians wanted to convey, the white audience embraced an optimistic interpretation of Swing. While this may seem as a futile attempt for many blacks to express the troubles of discrimination, it instead gave black Americans a shared identity of nationalism with whites that was never present in the 20^th century before. The feelings of egalitarianism did not stop at a commercial level, but instead prompted a discussion of racism and the treatment of fellow citizens that were trying to make a living. This idealistic dream of a shared identity put the first crack in a massive political barrier separating whites and blacks, and through Swing music alone, started an open debate about prevalent segregation of Americans for no good reason.

Besides a patriotic concern, Swing presented to the public musicians of both races, resulting in a discussion of the separate white and black contributions to the genre. Critics of jazz were especially crucial in interpreting the key messages of Swing, and although bias was not absent, the general public did not spare attention from people like John Hammond. Critics, who saw during their travels the difficult life many black musicians were living, worked to transmit the realities of racism to many white consumers. In Swing Changes, Stowe states, “The sharpest exchanges occurred not over integration of bias in the swing industry but over the issue that won Hammond notoriety: who played better jazz, whites or blacks and why” (Stowe 78). Critics like John Hammond served to explain and interpret the racial dimension of jazz, and rather than simply consume it, sought to address the discrimination facing even the most elite black musicians. The industry of music critics did not aim to disparage hopeful African Americans, but recognize that the obvious racial bias cannot be ignored if an audience truly respected people like Fletcher Henderson or Billie Holiday.

The circumstances in the Swing Era created a discussion about race in the public sphere. With the advent of the radio, black musicians could be partially considered “true” Americans that proudly represented the United States internationally. Along with the cultural discussion of jazz with popular music critics, who in their search for new talent saw the tragedy of racism, the general public were able to understand and consider racial discrimination for the first time in America’s history. As the political and cultural expressions of jazz left a lasting impression on white audiences, Swing placed a prominent step forward towards black civil liberties.

Commented on Hawken Ritter's Blog  

Blog #2: New York's Renovation of Jazz

As an artistic component of African identity in America, jazz became integral to black culture by the early twentieth century, and with the Great Migration, the music style demonstrated a thriving resilience in New York and Chicago. With continued racism placed on the African American population, musical forms evolved to serve as both sanctuary and opportunity in the face of oppression in the urban environment. Specifically, the transformation of jazz in New York served as an indicator of social renovation in the black community, and, unattached from many of its original roots that were present in New Orleans, it is evident that the Big Apple’s form of jazz played the most influential role in reconstructing the art style.   

The migration of thousands of African Americans to New York gradually created a novel cultural domain, fundamentally changing black identity and jazz. The introduction of southern African American culture to wealthier blacks formed a divide that inadvertently spread their musical popularity to the white demographic. In History of Jazz, Gioia notes, “In almost every sphere of day-to-day Harlem life, the desire for assimilation into the ways of the Northeast exerted a powerful motivating force” (91). Unlike other cities, the new arrival of southern blacks spurred many to partially renounce their origins and adopt a cosmopolitan identity in Harlem, for both profit and assimilation into white society. The pressure of integration in New York created a rift in Harlem’s populace, who desired to maintain Southern tradition, yet sought assimilation for a better life. These conditions of black confusion of identity and desire for wealth cumulated in a mix of both modern and traditional styles, serving as a catalyst for the creation of New York jazz.

The New York style of jazz permanently sculpted the genre through its massive appeal to richer audiences, and although it may have lost key elements present in New Orleans, black musicians became widely acclaimed and demanded. The adoption of the piano, as well as the creation of ragtime by Benny Goodman further demonstrated a push towards the genre’s mainstream acceptance in New York specifically. In the passage James P. Johnson, the author states, “We have arrived at a picture of a breed of highly-skilled and intensely professional freelance piano-players who, largely through their own pride in their calling, had mastered an enormous repertoire of works, both popular and classical” (26). Jazz in New York represented both tradition and modernity in trying to earn wealth from a largely white audience, who preferred music that “wasn’t too black” (Stewart, Lecture). The combination of classical music to African rhythm created the fundamentals of modern jazz, and would permanently ingrain itself into American culture from its success in New York through rent parties and performances.

The modernization of jazz is a key trait of the New York style, and though Chicago did not lack innovation, its connection with New Orleans was far too strong for it to embrace cosmopolitan adaptations of the music. To succeed in New York, a musician had to leave behind some of their Southern traditions, and instead embrace American culture as a whole for an audience. Gioia, referring to Fats Waller, states, “With a winning, warm demeanor, Waller made them feel like they were honored guests at his party, drinking from the best bottle in the house, privy to the wittiest asides…”(95). This flashy and magnetic personality defines a successful jazz player in New York, vastly contrasting with the blues players in Louisiana in both personal qualities and music style. Fats Waller, James P. Johnson, and Willie “The Lion” Smith all demonstrated that the identity of a modern black musician was more than an instrument, but a personality and appeal to mainstream America.

Regardless of New York’s effect on black opportunity, it is evident that the city caused an evolution of jazz through a displacement in audience demographics, coupled with the chance for African Americans to finally gain prosperity. The long-valued traditions of the music spatially clashed with the contemporary environment, to produce the most dramatic and important changes in jazz. No other city had the magnitude of black musical reconstruction, and in effect no other city could replicate the New York style.

Commented on Morgan Brubaker's blog