Blog #5

Call & Response

Upon my arrival to The History of Jazz I expected distinct definitions for the terms we learned during the course. Through out the course my understanding of vocabulary expanded as I learned about the interrelated factors of jazz music. Call and response stood out in particular because I was able to relate it to my perspective of the course material as a whole. Jazz is the manifestation of call-and-response; jazz is a communication between life and art. "Genius emerges when it finds its proper context, its proper environment, its proper audience. Genius in art is always best in "collision with a proper" community, in dialogue with a particular community, a specific time and space" (Stewart, 2013, January 29). The forms of this communication appear in various ways including, the relationship between audience and artist, the impact of socio-cultural conditions, and the prevalence of successful big bands that were lead by a breakout soloist.

  In the beginning of the course my concept of call-and-response was constricted to the definition from one of our earliest readings. "Examples of call-and-response music in which the solo, for one reason or another, drops out for a time, indicate clearly that the chorus part, rhythmical and repetitive, is the mainstay of the song…Thus the chorus forms a kind of melodic handclap testing and supporting and his ingenuity" (Thompson, 26).  Call-and-response is described here as an element of West-African music, which heavily influences Blues and Jazz, as a communication strictly between the leader of a band and his counterparts.  As I learned about the influence of environment on the development of jazz my definition expanded.

The effects of America’s melting pot influenced the creation and innovations of jazz music. Differing populations and collisions of cultures left definite impressions on the styles of music, individual artists, and the uprising of an “American” pop-culture, which comprised of blacks and whites. "In America, music was the first sphere of social interaction in which racial barriers were challenged and over turned" (Gioia, 125).  Each city, New Orleans, Chicago, New York, and Kansas City, represented a simulation of call-and-response through the way cultures transpired through the music; cultures would call and the music acted as the response. For example, the diverse population of New Orleans brought about the creation of blues and in New York European influences were embedded in the stride piano. These were also the conditions, which lead to some of the most popular jazz musicians who were successful in leading their own bands.

Bands were the epitome of jazz music. The leaders and soloists acted as the breakout stars that lead the band through acts, which relied heavily on call-and-response. These musicians include King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman. " Call and response goes to the very heat of the notion good-government, of popular response to the ideal leader" (Thompson, 27). King Oliver lead the way with his Creole Jazz Band, Louis Armstrong marked the age of the soloist with his ability to stand out of the band, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman also stood out as the best musicians of the group. Each of these artists mastered call-and-response at the top of their game, and lead to them being marked as legendary jazz musicians.

Blog #4

Thelonius Monk

Monk alludes to the diversity of San Juan Hill. When Monk states, “You go to the next block and you’re in a different country,” (Kelley, 19), he is referring to the abundance of first and second-generation immigrants in San Juan Hill.  The influence on Monk’s music comes from his experience growing up in such a diverse area and, “with a diversity of people came a diversity of culture”, (Kelley, 18). The intermingling of these cultures and music, again, created another revolutionary artist.

The lasting impacts of Monk’s exposure to a diverse community of people manifested itself in his music. He was exposed to classical, Caribbean, European, and other African-American traditions, each of which had their own influences. Monk’s exposure to classical music is a result of his other’s introduction to “the city’s rich cultural life”, (Kelley, 22).  His time spent at Central Park he became fond of the European and American composers, “During the summer of 1923, the inaugural year of the Central Park series, Goldman’s band gave sixty concerts…Five years old, Thelonius spent many warm summer nights listening to such works as Schubert’s “serenade”, Tchaikovsky’s “Slavic March”…”, (Kelley, 22). There was also a large population of West Indians, Southerners, and blacks from the Caribbean that had an impact on Thelonius’s style, “With the music, cuisine, dialects, and manners of the Caribbean and the American South everywhere in the West 60’s, virtually ever kid became a kind of cultural hybrid. Thelonius absorbed Caribbean music…One can certainly hear explicit Caribbean rhythms in some of Monk’s original compositions, most notably “Bye-ya” and “Bemsha Swing”, (Kelley, 23). Other European influence stemmed from his time as a student of Simon Wolf, who was an Austrian-born Jew. Although Wolf would not be able to teach Monk much before his talent would surpass him he taught him about Beethoven, Bach, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Mozart (Kelley, 26). Monk’s own black community also took a toll on his music, as he also received a heavy influence from the church.  All of these cultures attributed something different to Monk’s style, and paired with his own talent and unique personality he created an unorthodox sound.

The tensions created from the existence of a diverse culture also influenced Monk’s personal life as an adult and influential figure. As a child he had many experiences with racism and these events transpired onto his adulthood, including his run-ins with the police department. His view of the police department because of their racist practices, “they epitomized racism in the city”, (Kelley, 19). Monk tried to transcend racism mainly through his interracial relationship with Nica, who was Jewish. Monk’s music, with all its embedded influences also allowed him to go beyond racial lines and foster a new kind of community that did not abide by the traditional constrictions. “Monk’s music embodies a vision of a new community of artistic souls-rebels against middle class conformity”, (Stewart, 2013, Feb. 28). The Five Spot acted as an environment for his transcendental work to flourish. His acceptance of the younger generation and among both Blacks and Whites also allowed him to go beyond the typical American racial segregation during that time period, (Stewart, 2013, Feb. 28). 

Swing

The big swing era of the 1930’s captures jazz music in its prime, “if jazz ever enjoyed a golden age, this would be it”, (Gioia, 145). The 1930’s also acted as a catalyst for integration and miscegenation in America. The swing era mirrored the United States as there was now a choice between black and white in what was to be considered, American culture. The partial unionization caused also created tensions and raised issues of race in the communities and media. With the help of the radio, for the first time blacks and whites had a common ground in terms of culture. Race is written and talked about like never before during the swing era because people were interacting like never before. The only issue was not race; there were also a conflict of “musician vs. critic” (Stewart, 14, February 2013), and competition among one another to be the best.

The legendary Duke Ellington can be seen as the musician who was the epitome of the big swing era conflicts. Ellington was able to cross over and become widely popular. He also played at venues, which were segregated, to Black people, such as the Cotton Club. Because of his decisions he was heavily criticized for abandoning his own people and conforming to white standards in terms of his music. Among his worst critics was John Hammond, who was a white man, and had large influences on jazz by discovering legendary players. Although Hammond was a white man, he critiqued a black man for selling out to the white popular culture. They’re feud brought about many racial tensions. Among the racial tensions underlies the evidence that jazz was in white homes, (Swing Changes). With popularity in white homes come white musicians. Competition of whether black or white people play better jazz remains a trend. The battle at the center of black vs. white jazz musicians was the Benny Goodman vs. Chick Webb play-off in Carnegie Hall. Benny Goodman, also known as the “King of Swing”, lost to Webb, a less popular black musician.

The swing era was able to create a common ground for white and black people. The music brought these people together to create true “American Culture”. Although the process of integration may have not been a smooth ride, it sparked the beginning of a revolution. Race is central to the Swing Era because it worked to put blacks on a more equal level with whites, “swing was in fundamental sense an African-American music that somehow, for the first time since antebellum minstrelsy, black culture had become for may of its young people the American culture of choice”, (Swing changes, 54).

B14 Blog #2

New York: Hot & Cold

         Compared to Chicago in the 1920’s New York was more important to the development of jazz. Chicago is in fact, significant to jazz through its mass migration of African Americans and development of jazz through its innovation of influences from New Orleans. However, New York proved to be essential to the continued developments of jazz influenced by both major cities and the music that originated from New York. Harlem was also the next step for prospering Blacks still seeking opportunity in the North, “As such, Harlem in this era symbolized a coming of age for all African Americans”, (Gioia, 93). In addition, New York’s capitalization of jazz is responsible for the exposure of African American music as a desirable element of their culture, and passing on the torch of jazz to create styles such as Swing.

       In accordance with the dialogic theory, which argues that community plays a role in the musician’s art, the two Harlems created two distinctive styles of New York Jazz. The hot and cold styles of jazz were between “the Harlem of literary aspirations and the Harlem of Jazz and Blues” (Gioia, 95). The Harlem renaissance co-existed among the less talked about impoverished Harlem of lower-middle class African Americans. Tension between the two Harlems also existed as the upper-middle class African-Americans looked down upon the lower-middle class and their interest in jazz. The lower-class Harlem provided the struggle needed to make quality music, “but the Harlem of rent parties and underground economies created music” (Gioia, 94). Lack of financial stability, and rent parties allowed for the popularization of piano, and development of Harlem jazz styles from ragtime and popular trends in music. Central to the styles of Harlem jazz is the stride piano. The piano acted as a distinctive feature for music in Harlem and separates New York from other places such as Chicago and New Orleans. The piano also holds significant metaphoric meaning for Harlem. According to Gioia, “The instrument represented conflicting possibilities- a pathway for assimilating a traditional highbrow culture, a calling card of lowbrow nightlife, a symbol of middle-class prosperity, or quite simply a means of making a living”, (96). This is said because stride piano players insisted on maintaining a middle ground, neither highbrow nor lowbrow (Gioia). By keeping a middle ground the stride piano bridged the two Harlems together. Stride piano also gives way to the other cultural factors affecting the style of jazz in Harlem. European culture contributed the piano to jazz in the 1920’s. The tradition of classical piano in New York made it a breeding ground for piano players.

      James P. Johnson, Fats Walter, and Duke Ellington are among some of the most influential Harlem jazz musicians. Johnson is accredited with being the first to make a transition for ragtime to jazz. He also is documented creating music before New Orleans jazz was created or recorded (Stewart, 2013, February 5). Johnson is said to have great influence on Ellington and other greats. Johnson is the most important to Harlem jazz in the 1920’s because he was the first to do it and he did not go on through out his career unaccredited, he influenced other great musicians and without him jazz in New York may have not existed.

            Harlem’s unique influences and factors that were significant in creating hot and cold jazz proves once again, “jazz flourishes on diversity”, (Stewart, 2013, February 5).

B14 Blog #1, N.O.

New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz! Why? Because it is the only city with such diversity and as many mosquitos. It is a melting pot of people and cultures, and culture includes music. Gioia offers many convincing reasons for why New Orleans is praised for its historical jazz roots, but its diversity is the most prominent feature. The diversity paired with horrible conditions created the historical musicians who come from New Orleans. Each influence can be connected to the impression the diversity had on the city. The mixing of cultures date back to the slave trade, some of these roots are said emerged from African roots, mainly because slaves were allowed to participate in playing the drums. They were even allocated a space to perform, called the Congo Square. The collision of African heritage and European music created the Blues, which has influence on Jazz. Similar to the Blues, Jazz is mainly centered around African-Americans, however it originates from a mixture of music.  French, Spanish, African, White, and other ethnicities immigrated to New Orleans, and doubled the population in a short amount of time, and each had its own influence.  The mixture of music worked together to create jazz. The legislative code of Louisiana of 1894 also contributes to the melting pot by forcing Creole people to be closer to Blacks by placing them in the same category. Now New Orleans had a party of people, because the mortality rates gave the people a certain appreciation for the fun in life; traditions of celebrations arose. Due to the mixture of culture there were also many venues within small proximities of one another. There were many operas in New Orleans, along with venues for dancing, ragtime, and other music. The church gave inspiration because singing and instrument use were common in the black church.  Hard times and diversity manifested itself within the music and allowed for the development of historical figures such as Buddy Bolden. He is a major contribution on the behalf of New Orleans. Jazz emerged inNew Orleans because it was the only place with all the necessary attributes. Only in a melting pot.