TheJazzAgehadhadawildyouthandheadymiddleagesomebodyhadblunderedandthe

mostexpensiveorgyinhistorywasover
F.ScottFitzgeraldhititrightintheheadwhenhewrotethislineinTheJazzAge.The
twentiesfromaperspectivewaslikeadecadelonghandover.Heexplainedinthosesimplelines
thewayJazzfeltforallthosewholivedinthe1920s1940s.Jazzwasawayformusiciansto
expressthemselveswithoutsocialstigma,torebelagainstthetraditionalcultureofprevious
generations.Duringthistimeframemanymusiciansfoundthemselvesdeeplyrootedintothe
culture,andmanyoftheminspiredmillionsofAmericanstokeephopeduringtheGreat
DepressionandtocontinuetofightduringWorldWarII.Nomatterthesituation,Americans
listenedtoJazzandcouldfeelthehopethatonedaythingswouldgetbetter;andthatnomatter
howgrimthingsmighthaveseemedthebluesinsomeofthemusicshowedthattherewhere
otherssufferingfarworsethantheywhere.
Inthelate1920s,AmericansocietywashitbyoneoftheworstcrisissincetheCivil
War,theGreatDepression.TheStockMarketcrashed,assobeganthecountlessyearsof
desperationbyalmost16millionAmericans.ItissaidthatoneoutofeveryfourAmericans
working,waswithoutwork.AccordingtoEp.4ofJazz:AFilmbyKenBurns,onasingledayin
the1930s,onequarteroftheentirestateofMississippiwasauctionedoffforsale.Thiswasdue
totheextremepricedropincropprice,manyfieldswherelefttorot.Duringthistimehundreds
ofthousandsofmenlookingforjobswanderedthestreets,lookingforsomeopportunity.Dueto
thelackandimpropercultivationoflands,DustStormsbornintheSouth,migratedalltheway
toEastofWashingtondarkeningtheskiesastheymoved.TherewasacoupleinNewYorkthat
wasjoblessandhomelessandindireneedforashelter,decidedtomoveintoacaveinCentral
Parkandstayedthereforalmostawholeyear.Eventhoughthewhiteswherehithardbythis

depression,blackAmericawashitthehardest.Poorblacklookingforjobsmigratedfromthe
SouthtotheNorthandcrowdedneighborhoods.Nonetheless,duetotheamountofpeoplenot
workingduringtheDepressionthismeantthatmillionofpeoplealloverAmericawouldbeable
tohearmusic.
Andjazz,whichhadalwaysthrivedinadversityandcometosymbolizeacertainkindof
Americanfreedom,wouldbecalledupontoliftthespiritsandraisethemoraleofa
frightenedcountry.Andintheprocess,itwouldbegintobreakdownthebarriersthathad
separatedAmericansfromeachotherforcenturies.(Jazz:AFilmbyKenBurns,2000)
Whenthisnewsound,Jazz,firststartedtospreadacrosstheAmericasintheearlytwentieth
century,initspathitleftdelightandcontroversy.Itseemsasthoughthemorepopularitbecame
themoreliberatingandsensuousmusicwascriticized,byeverythingandeveryone.Jazzwas
differentthanwhatpeoplewhereusedtolistening;itbroketherulesofmusicalandsocialorder.
Itfeaturedimprovisationovertraditionalstructure,performerovercomposer,andblack
Americanexperienceoverconventionalwhitesensibilities.Undercurrentsofracismbore
stronglyupontheoppositiontojazz,whichwasseenasbarbaricandimmoral.Beforejazz
emerged,manymusiceducatorsworriedthatjazzwoulddestroyyoungpeople'sinterestin
classicalmusic.TheytriedtoconvincethepublicthatEuropeanclassicalmusicwastheonly
"goodmusic."
Thepopularityofthenewjazzculturehadpositiveandnegativeconsequenceswithin
Americansocietyinthe1920s.Somepeopleusedthetermof"bottomculture"tothepopularor
folkcultureofaminoritygroup.Theevolutionofjazzmusicandcultureintoasocietal
revolutionelevatedaspectsofAfricanAmericanpopularcultureforthefirsttimeinthehistory
oftheUnitedStates.Thecultureofaminoritybecamethedesireofthemajority.Althoughjazz
aidedintheelevationofthestatusofAfricanAmericans,therewasaveryseriouswhite

reactionarymovementstothissuccess.SomewhitemusiciansdeniedthatjazzwasAfrican
Americanbyorigin,insteadchoosingtolabeltheOriginalDixielandJazzBandasthegenesisof
jazzmusic.TheKuKluxKlangrewtorecordhighsinthe1920s,andseveralotherwhite
supremacistgroupswereformed.
DuringthistimemanyinfluentialJazzmusicianswherepavingthereroadtogreatfame.
LouisArmstrong,alsoknownaspops,wasagreatJazzartist,hewascharismatic,innovative
performerwhosemusicalskillsandbrightpersonalitytransformedjazzfromaroughregional
dancemusicintoapopularartform.Probablythemostfamousjazzmusicianofthe20th
century,hefirstachievedfameasatrumpeter,buttowardstheendofhiscareerhewasbest
knownasavocalistandwasoneofthemostinfluentialjazzsingers.Anothernotablefigurein
JazzduringthistimewasthegreatDukeEllington.Ellingtonwastheoriginatorofbigbandjazz,
andcreatedonofthemostdistinctiveensemblesoundsinWesternMusic.Duringthistime,he
wasperforminginnightclubsonBroadwayasabandleaderofasextet(asixmangroup).He
pursuedmusiciansthathaduniqueplayingstyles,justlikeBubberMiley,whousedaplungerto
makethewawasounds.Duringthistime,Ellingtonmadehundredsofrecordingswithhis
bandandactuallytouredEuropeontwoseparateoccasions.
Inthemid1930s,theU.S.founditselffundamentallypreoccupiedwiththedomestic
economictroublesoftheGreatDepression.BenitoMussolini,thefascistdictatorofItaly,had
begunwaginganimperialwarinEthiopiausingchemicalweaponslikemustardgas,
slaughteringthousandsofinnocentpeople.AviolentcivilwarragedinSpain,pittingGeneral
FranciscoFranco'sfascistsagainstamotleyallianceofcommunistsanddemocrats.JosefStalin
hadrisentoabsolutepowerinRussiaafterimprisoningandexecutingmanyofhispolitical
enemiesintheSovietUnion.DowntroddenGermanshadralliedaroundAdolfHitler,theirnew

leader,whocalledforAryanredemptionafterGermany'shumiliationinWorldWarIand
launchedanaggressivecampaignto"unify"theGermanracethroughoutEurope.Andinthe
East,JapanhadinvadedManchuriaandthreatenedtoconquerChina,virtuallyuncheckedby
Westernpowerspreoccupiedwithproblemsclosertohome.Despitethedeath,destruction,and
devastation,thewarhelpedusherinanewworldorder,oneinwhichHitler'sThirdReichin
Europewasnomore,andsomeofhistory'smostheinouscrimeshadbeenexposedandresisted.
IntheUnitedStates,wartimemobilizationpulledtheAmericaneconomyoutofdepression,
employingmillions.Americanwomenandblacksexperiencedsomefreedomsunattainablein
prewarsociety.Andontheworldstage,theUnitedStatesearnedanew,powerfulandcoveted
role.
ThemusicduringWorldWarIIwasunprecedentedlyimpactfulonAmerica,bothon
troopsservingoverseasandthehomefront.WW2wascompletelydifferentthanWW1,andthat
differencewasadevicecalledtheradio.AccordingtoHistoricalRadioSociety,virtually96.2
percentofAmericanshouseholdsownedaradio.Neverbeforehadrecordingsofsongsandlive
musicalperformancesbeenbroadcasttosomanymillionsofAmericans,bothtothose
supportingthewarathomeandtotroopsservingthroughouttheworld.FormanyAmericans,
thismassdistributionofmusichadaunifying,patrioticeffectbyraisingthemoraleofthetroops
overseasandmotivatingandinspiringtheAmericansathometofullysupportallaspectsofthe
wareffort.SomeAfricanAmericanrecordingartists,however,usedthepowerofmusicto
highlightthehypocrisyofAmericasfightforfreedomanddemocracyabroad,while
discriminationandsegregationwereprevalentacrosstheUnitedStatesandthroughoutthe
segregatedarmedforces.Thoughmanytypesofmusicinthe1940shadafollowing,swingand
jazzwerebyfarthemostpopular.BannedthroughoutGermanyandoccupiedEurope,this

uniquelyAmericanmusicservedasadefianthopeforliberationandfreedom,andinmanyways
servedasthesoundtrackforthewar.The1940sbroughtsomenewgreattotheJazzplaying
field,theynotonlyconveyedtheiremotionsthoughthemusicbutalsoestablishedanewwayto
playJazz,bebop.CharlieParkerandDizzyGillespieledthismovement,themusic
differentiatedgreatlyfromswing.Theearlybebopdivorceditselffromdancemusic,establishing
itselfmoreasanartformbutlesseningitspotentialpopularandcommercialvalue.
Throughoutthe1920s,jazzmusicevolvedintoanintegralpartofAmericanpopular
culture.The"primitive"jazzsoundthathadoriginatedinNewOrleansdiversified,andthus
appealedtopeoplefromeveryechelonofsociety.Theeffectofjazzmusicuponsocietycanbe
depictedthroughacloseexaminationofdifferentaspectsofpopularculture.Jazzmusichada
profoundeffectontheliteraryworld,whichcanbeillustratedthroughthegenesisofthegenreof
jazzpoetry.Fashioninthe1920swasanotherwayinwhichjazzmusicinfluencedpopular
culture.TheWomen'sLiberationMovementwasfurtheredbyjazzmusic,asitprovidedmeans
ofrebellionagainstsetstandardsofsociety.ThestatusofAfricanAmericanswaselevated,due
tothepopularityofthisdistinctlyAfricanAmericanmusic.ForthefirsttimeinAmerican
history,whatwaspreviouslyconsidered"bottomculture"rosetothetopandbecameahighly
desiredcommodityinsociety.JazzmusicwasapropellingforceintheWomen'sLiberation
MovementintheUnitedStatesduringthe1920s.
Earlyinthe1940s,youngmusicianssuchasCharlieParkerandDizzyGillespie,steeped
inthesoundsofswing,beganexperimentingwithmelodicandharmonicdissonancesaswellas
rhythmicalterations,suchasbeginningandendingimprovisedphrasesinuncommonplacesin
themeasure.Bytheendofthe1940s,bebopwastheidealamongyoungjazzmusicians.Unlike
swing,bebopwasuntetheredtopopulardemands.Itsprimaryconcernwasmusical

advancement.WithSwingduringthe1930sand1940s,jazzbecameAmerica'smainstream
popularmusic.AsSwingbecameanincreasinglycommercializedandomnipresentforcein
Americanpopularculture,itmadeincreasinglycommonappearancesinAmericandiscourseand
popularcultureoutsideofthemusicindustry.TheseexaminationsofSwinginpainting,
literature,andfilmquestionedwhethersuchacommercializedformofmusiccouldtrulybe
consideredart.UnlikeearlierculturalexaminationsofSwing,theseriffsonjazzduringthe
SwingErarespondedtojazzasacommoditizedproduct.Alayeringofanalysisconcerning
swing,performedbyartists,writers,andfilmdirectors,cametoreplaceartisticorcultural
analysisoccurringwithinthemusicitself.Jazzcanbesummarizedinonesimplequoteby
GeorgeGershwin,Lifeisalotlikejazz...it'sbestwhenyouimprovise

WorksCited
Adams,Mike."100YearsofRadio."CaliforniaHistoricalRadioSociety.N.p.,12Nov.2011.
Web.05May2015.
JAZZ:AFilmByKenBurns.Dir.KenBurns.PBS,2000.TVSeries.
Rosenzweig,Roy,NelsonLichtenstein,JoshuaBrown,DavidJaffee,andStephenBrier.
WhoBuiltAmerica?:WorkingPeopleandtheNation'sHistory.Boston:Beford/St.
Martin's,2008.Print.
Smith,Jane."JazzHistory."May2013.PowerPointpresentation