1

MUS 333
March 22
nd
, 2013
Jazz Music and times of Crisis
There is a certain power that musicians hold whenever they are playing their instruments.
They can hold an audience, enraptured by the sound and passion of the performer. Those who
study music and devote their lives to its pursuit are all too familiar with this phenomenon.
However, perhaps an even greater gift that music gives those who play it is a sense of catharsis
and release. Looking at the history of jazz music, it has employed in exactly this way as a means
of coping with difficult times. It is a music steeped in conflicts and has weathered each one in
turn, evolving in style as a living, breathing music of change. Jazz music is a music of progress
capable of helping people stand up and face economic, social, or political issues.
Music historians often claim that jazz got its initial start in the days of slavery. During
this time, Africans were brought from various parts of Africa to work as unpaid, laborers to
facilitate economic growth in the colonial world
1
. Although jazz music is not a direct offshoot of
these spirituals, they played a strong role in jazz's formation. These spirituals were useful to
those Africans forcibly brought to the Americas for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, they were a
means of escape; the songs were a way to keep the mind preoccupied and not allow it to break
down under the intense stress of the situation. They also provided a sense of release, for as many
musicians have found, pouring one's emotions and feelings into music has a healing effect.
Further, the spirituals fostered a sense of unity, helping to create closer ties between the slaves,
1Williams, Regennia N.. "Spirituals." Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the
Age of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century, edited by Ed. Paul Finkelman. Oxford African American Studies
Center, http://www.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0005/e1139 (accessed Fri Mar 22 01:36:40 EDT 2013).
2
which in turn helped the Africans resist their overlords.
Ironically, these spirituals were sometimes encouraged by slave owners. By making
slaves sing, masters were capable of knowing where their slaves were without having to have
their eyes on them all the time, making escape more difficult. Ironically, spirituals would
eventually be employed by crafty slaves to pass information between one another about escape
routes, times, as well as other messages without a slave master knowing. In this way, before its
later forms were even dreamed of, jazz was helping to both passively and actively affect social
change by helping slaves to escape, and helping those left in bondage to bond together and
mentally resist their trials.
2
Jump forward to the 1920's and jazz music is once again working for those attempting to
resist a political situation. January 29
th
, 1920 marked a turning point in the United States'
history, for it was on this day that the 18
th
amendment took effect; the production and
consumption of alcohol had been banned. Out of a desire to resist what some viewed as an
oppressive law, the speakeasy was born. This establishment was a secret kind of bar where
people could go to drink and have a good time, and they grew like wildfire. Just in New York
City, there were approximately 5000 speakeasies operating at once. With so many options for
the consumer, the proprietors of these establishments wanted to give their places an edge, and so
naturally it made sense to employ musicians to keep their patrons entertained. In these places, it
was only natural that people would want some kind of entertainment which meant that there was
work to be had and musicians to be hired. Speakeasy proprietors would work to bring in the best
musicians to attract more customers over their competitors.
3
2 Hock, Kat. Early Jazz Part I. Class Lecture, Jazz Appreciation Lecture from University of North Carolina at
Greensboro, Greensboro, September 12, 2011.
3 Burns, Ken, Speakeasies, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/jazz/exchange/exchange_speakeasies.htm (accessed March
18
th
, 2013).
3
These musicians were working night after night helping to bring people into a place
whose sole purpose was to undermine a law that was viewed by some as wrong. People were
relaxing their morals and enjoying themselves, and jazz music was leading the way. At this
time, jazz was considered with conflicting ideas. Historian Michael McGerr discusses these
dissonant views in his interview with Indiana Public Media.
On one hand, jazz is associated with primitivism; it's seen as the music of African
Americans, and you know the kind of racist stereotypes bound up in that. People out of
the jungle, literally calling this jungle music rooted in desire and sexualized... And at
the same time it's seen as the epitome of modernism, as the perfect musical
accompaniment to an increasingly slick modern society of steel skyscrapers, steel rails,
automobiles and all sorts of progress... Jazz is the obvious cultural counterpart to that in
the United States
4
This second, more positive view of jazz music and progress is especially evident in the
lives of women, for not only did the music help undermine prohibition, it also played a leading
role in pushing women's rights forward. Before prohibition, it was considered unladylike for
women to be drinking in saloons, but during the time of speakeasies they were drinking just like
men were, with jazz blaring in the background. The women who took part in this drinking and
relaxing of morals were attempting to create a new model of what was acceptable for women.
Not only were they resisting this preconceived notion of a woman's role, but, thanks to jazz, they
were also standing up against prohibition, a law that many felt to be oppressive. This period of
good feelings would not last though, for a dark cloud loomed just over the horizon for the not
just the musicians of the time, but the entire United States.
5
When the Great Depression hit, it hit hard. Unemployment skyrocketed as did inflation,
putting many people out of work.
6
Hit especially hard, as always seems the case in tough
4 The Big Speakeasy: Jazz and Prohibition.Night Lights. Indiana Public Media. October 5, 2011. Webcast.
5 Burns, Ken, The Great Depression, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/jazz/time/time_depression.htm (accessed March
19
th
2011).
6Garraty, John A. "UNEMPLOYMENT DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION." Labor History 17, no. 2
(Spring76 1976): 133-159.Historical Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed March 22, 2013).
4
economic times, were the musicians. Recording companies closed up shop and people had to
find work elsewhere. Famous musicians such as Sidney Bechet, the famous soprano saxophone
and clarinet player were forced to take up work elsewhere. Bechet, for instance, had to stop
playing music for a living and opened a tailor shop to get by. While there were some jobs in
music to be had, most of them had been moved to the radio and the recording studio, a place
where African Americans were not welcome. Music just was not a priority at this point in time.
Luckily, a new brand of music, born out of Harlem would save not just the music business, but
help pull Americans out of their slumps, put them back on their feet, and make them dance.
Swing music took America by storm, and, although it originated in Harlem, even white
clubs began to play it night after night, accompanied by the dancing feet of Americans
everywhere, things were looking up. Swing music was the spark people needed. They would
work hard in attempt to save enough money to go out dancing once in a while. The American
people and jazz were in a symbiotic relationship; they both needed each other. These swing
clubs were something to look forward to in a time where everything seemed dark. Saxophonist
Jerry Jerome described the period in amazement, wondering why do, where do people get the
money to come hear us? to which his friend and fellow musician Harry Resser responded they
save their pennies for the weekend...and go out and pay whatever it costs to go to a dance with
their wives or girlfriends, have a ball, forget about their trouble. Music was in demand again,
and the recording industry saw a sharp upswing; from 1932 to 1939 the record business sold 40
million more records, where only 10 million had ben sold in 1932. Jazz music may have not
been a major cause of the lifting of the Great Depression, but swing music was something people
could hold to in their time of need. It helped them persevere through today and gave them hope
5
for tomorrow. However, the cloud of the depression would not leave America just yet, and
meanwhile trouble was brewing in Europe.
7
Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933 only intensified the growing conservative feelings in
Germany. Jazz was a foreign music, labeled as fremdlndisch or alien, and therefore
expressly forbidden by the new regime. However, many German citizens at the time found the
uplifting sounds of swing music equally attractive as their Western counterparts. Jazz itself had
a mixed history in Nazi Germany, for the government frequently changed its stance against jazz
music. This uncertain attitude towards the music came from the natural allure of swing music; it
was difficult for even many of the German officers to resist it's pull. In this way jazz was
actively fighting against the oppressive Nazi regime. The Nazis wanted to ban the music
because of its associations and what it stood for, but something about the infectiousness of swing
music was more than they could contain, although there were times where the music was brought
down.
8
In 1942, a man named Erich Pechmann was put in a French prison camp. A musician,
Pechmann would spend some of his time singing bluesy melodies for his fellow prisoners. A
fellow prisoner named Fred Wander recalls his singing claiming that when he played,
everything became quiet. He magically produced the sound of an entire band Everywhere
where Pechmann went, he reassured these frightened people. In this way, jazz music was
undermining the Nazi regime, boosting morale in a place meant to keep hope away.
Lastly, jazz music played a role in the African American Civil Rights movement.
Although, jazz music would become more involved later, a notable early instance of jazz
6
7 Burns, Ken, The Great Depression, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/jazz/time/time_depression.htm (accessed March
19
th
2013).
8 Fackler, Guido, Jazz Under the Nazis, Music and the Holocaust, http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/politics-and-
propaganda/third-reich/jazz-under-the-nazis/ (accessed March 18, 2013).
combating race relations can be seen in the music of Billie Holiday. Although Holiday did not
write the song, Strange Fruit has been attributed to her since around 1939 when she first
performed it in Greenwich Village, New York. The songs lyrics are haunting.
Southern trees bear a strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
Pastoral scene of the gallant south,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.
Here is fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.
The song is a social commentary on the practice of lynching. Lynchings increased during
The Great Depression when the country was generally stressed. Furthermore, there was little
government action against the problem since the US government had its hands full with the
economic issues of the day. In this song, Holiday uses jazz music as a means of enacting social
change. The lyrics are touching, and her performance of the song is achingly beautiful. This
song has the potential to make people think twice about violence towards African Americans, if
nothing else. It also spread awareness to people of the problem, for it gained a decent amount of
popularity when it reached 16
th
on the charts of the day. By singing this song night after night
Holiday was able to resist, and help others resist, the racial climate of the 1930s.
9
Looking forward, other jazz musicians used their music to discuss civil rights issues.
Saxophonist Sonny Rollins produced an album in 1958 called Freedom Suite. This albums name
7
is obviously a reference to racial issues, but this becomes even more apparent when one reads
9Margolick, David, (Author). "Strange fruit." Vanity Fair no. 457 (September 1, 1998): 310. RILM Abstracts of
Music Literature, EBSCOhost (accessed March 20, 2013).
Rollins' message to the reader that appeared on the back of the album.
America is deeply rooted in Negro culture; its colloquialisms, its humor, its music. How
ironic that the Negro, who more than any other people can claim Americas culture as his
own, is being persecuted and repressed, that the Negro, who has exemplified the
humanities in his very existence, is being rewarded with inhumanity.
Rollins' album is making a strong political statement by taking a strong stance against the
treatment of African Americans during this time. The album was consequently not as well
received as some of his earlier music such as Saxophone Collosus but the effect was an important
one. Rollins used jazz as a means of pushing back against the oppressive racial policies of the
1950s.
10
Music's power is an undeniable force capable of numerous feats. It can evoke such
passion in its audiences as well as its performers. It can adapt and change to fit its
circumstances, but, above all, it has the ability to heal. Jazz music in particular has shown time
and time again that it can help stand up for the oppressed or down-on-their-luck. This
quintessential American music is a form of art truly capable of helping people push through or
push back against tough economic, political, or social situations.
Bibliography
Burns, Ken, The Great Depression, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/jazz/time/time_depression.htm
(accessed March 19
th
2013).
10Henry, Lucas Aaron. "Freedom Now! Four Hard Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Musicians' Musical Commentary on
the Civil Rights Movement, 1958--1964."East Tennessee State University, 2004.
http://search.proquest.com/docview/305181208?accountid=14604.
Burns, Ken, Speakeasies, PBS, http://www.pbs.org/jazz/exchange/exchange_speakeasies.htm
(accessed March 18
th
, 2013).
Fackler, Guido, Jazz Under the Nazis, Music and the Holocaust,
http://holocaustmusic.ort.org/politics-and-propaganda/third-reich/jazz-under-the-nazis/
(accessed March 18, 2013).
Garraty, John A. "UNEMPLOYMENT DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION." Labor History
17, no. 2 (Spring76 1976): 133-159.Historical Abstracts, EBSCOhost (accessed March 22,
2013).
Henry, Lucas Aaron. "Freedom Now! Four Hard Bop and Avant-Garde Jazz Musicians' Musical
Commentary on the Civil Rights Movement, 1958--1964."East Tennessee State University,
2004. http://search.proquest.com/docview/305181208?accountid=14604.
Hock, Kat. Early Jazz Part I. Class Lecture, Jazz Appreciation Lecture from University of
North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, September 12, 2011.
Margolick, David, (Author). "Strange fruit." Vanity Fair no. 457 (September 1, 1998): 310.
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, EBSCOhost (accessed March 20, 2013).
The Big Speakeasy: Jazz and Prohibition.Night Lights. Indiana Public Media. October 5, 2011.
Webcast.
Williams, Regennia N.. "Spirituals." Encyclopedia of African American History, 1896 to the Present: From the Age
of Segregation to the Twenty-first Century, edited by Ed. Paul Finkelman. Oxford African American Studies Center,
http://www.oxfordaasc.com/article/opr/t0005/e1139 (accessed Fri Mar 22 01:36:40 EDT 2013).