Jazz: A Revolutionary and Imaginative Force for Freedom

Before taking this class, my knowledge about jazz was very limited. I was only exposed to it recently, as my friend’s father loves jazz. He showed me some Bebop and Cool jazz and I really liked it. Furthermore, he told me that he liked jazz “because it was a music with class” and that he aimed to set himself apart from others by listening to this high-class music form. Nevertheless, I knew that jazz was mainly pioneered by black people so I asked him how it could be a high class music in a country that was, until recently, very segregated. He replied that he was referring to jazz being a music with class nowadays, whereas throughout most of history it was underground music. I considered this to be really thought-provoking and my interest in how jazz rose up from being a black underground music to now being considered “classy” by some people made me take this class. As a global studies major, I was also really interested in the social implications of jazz being a force for freedom, revolution and ultimately acknowledgement of the black community. I read the book “Dreams of Trespass,” which talks about the oppression women face in the Middle East, but also about how they transcend these boundaries through dance, music and imagination. Thus, I also wanted to know if jazz was a similar imaginative force for freedom to the African American population during legal segregation.

This class really emphasized that jazz indeed was a revolutionary music form that questioned and sometimes tried to transcend racial boundaries. As Miles calls himself the “famous black rebel,” most of the history of jazz is defined by certain forms of rebellion against the prevailing social inequalities (Davis 272). Slavery might have ended on paper, but racial segregation and discrimination were still in place. In Chicago for example, black musicians were bound to their clubs and “owners” by legal contracts (Travis 44). Additionally, Miles points out the very real discrimination, when he describes a rich white doctor that made money off “poor black people that he didn’t give a fuck about” (Davis 41). For the black community jazz served as community building. Importantly, jazz was a symbolic way to transcend the racial oppression as “musicians of all colors, all nationalities” were playing it (Gioia 35). Thus, jazz was often a space where social divides were non-existent, helping to transform black people from objects into subjects, who can exercise their culture freely (Stewart 1/22). For example, Thelonious Monk, instead of opposing oppression as many did before, utilized jazz to create a community beyond racial dichotomies (Stewart 2/24). This is very similar to music and dance enabling women in the Middle East to move beyond oppression, even though, in both cases, the repressive system doesn’t change (Dreams of Trespass).

Jazz was also actively embodying the revolutionary tendencies of the black community as Coltrane, for example, emerged as the symbol of “beautiful, black, revolutionary pride” (Davis 286). Throughout jazz history, black jazz musicians always strove for the recognition of their music, and thus for their culture and people. In the Swing era, racial tensions became ever more exacerbated when jazz went national (Gioia 127). In this time Benny Goodman was the first to play with a mixed race band in one of the most respectable venues in the US, Carnegie Hall (Stewart 2/12, Swing Changes 55). This transformed jazz into a respectable music form. Moreover, being respectable was another way of utilizing jazz to strive towards equal status socially and thus (symbolically) overthrowing Jim Crow segregation. When jazz became national culture, black musicians had achieved their symbolic revolution and struggle towards equal status and recognition. (Even though this class did not explicitly state the revolutionary aspects of jazz, reading between the lines of the readings and lectures I always got the feeling that this was one of the core aspects of jazz and its relation to race.)

Thus, in sum, this course confirmed my expectation that jazz reflected and transformed racial boundaries. Jazz always embodied the current racial tensions and often, as discussed, musicians sought to rebel against or transcend these tensions. This, also being in line with my expectations, shows the great influence that imagination, which is the precondition to music and culture, has on humanity and how it helps to shape and reshape societies. Thus, jazz was incredibly important musically, but also socially and culturally in reshaping oppression in the US and therefore much of the world.

Commented on: Charles Wilkens Blog: http://cjwilkensblst14.blogspot.com/2015/03/blog-5.html?showComment=1426056733826#c93174307971240442 

Every Genius Needs a Community

Thelonious Monk’s family moved to San Juan Hill at a time when this part of the city was known for its violence (Kelley 16). Race riots were a common sight and conflict between cultural groups, such as “between Caribbean and Southern blacks” was eminent (Kelley 17, loc. 704). This violent community also harbored a “diversity of cultures” which significantly influenced Monk’s music and artistic talent (Kelley loc. 679). Nevertheless, despite the violence, San Juan Hill fostered a “strong sense of community” among the black population, which was mainly held together through music (Kelley loc 729, 727). Specifically, San Juan Hill was a “neighborhood […] full of jazz sounds” and thus offered the perfect precondition for shaping Monk’s genius as a jazz musician (Kelley 27). Thus, San Juan Hill influenced Monk’s development as a genius and he in turn influenced the community by attempting to transcend racial boundaries.

Monk’s mother, Barbara, and the Columbus Hill Neighborhood Center proved to have the most influence on his development and musical genius (Kelley loc 800, 944). The community center functioned as a sanctuary away from the violence and so did Monk’s home. In both places Monk’s artistic qualities were advanced by offering him open, free-spirited and safe areas. Barbara encouraged her children to experience the “rich cultural life” of New York and exposed them to various musical artists and cultures (Kelley loc. 800). She also provided a “popular hangout […] for many of the young neighborhood musicians” in the family’s apartment and thus brought Monk into contact with many musicians and jazz styles (Kelley 1065). The Columbus Hill Neighborhood Center served as a social setting in which Monk formed many cross cultural friendships (Kelley loc. 1060). Also, Monk started his first band in the safe haven of the community center (Kelley loc. 1135). The openness of his home and the center enabled Monk to express his individuality and genius. The community and the various music styles and cultures are reflected in Monk’s music and thus the community helped him shape his music. In sum, multicultural (mostly jazz) influences combined with safe havens for artistic expression to form Monk’s musical genius. Furthermore, the violence and the community around music in the Hill led Monk to become an advocator for transcending racial lines through the creation of a musical community (Stewart 2/24). This attitude that tragedy helps foster a communal sense of belonging clearly influenced his further career and musical style.

This alludes to why people say “Jazz is New York, Man!” No man is an island and similarly no genius can adequately flourish without the right community that embraces such a genius. San Juan Hill provided Monk the musical black community, the center and his home as spaces for his artistic development. Further, the predominantly black community was very artistic, musical and multicultural, which clearly influenced and shaped Monk’s music. Also, this community is especially noteworthy for its ability to embrace musicians from socially oppressed groups. Therefore, New York provides an appropriate community for supporting and shaping geniuses like Monk, who in turn shape the Jazz movement.

 A similar jazz supporting community arose in Leimert Park. There the 5^th Street Dicks Coffee House and The World Stage provided artists with a safe haven away from racial violence (Leimert Park). Similar to the community center and Monk’s home, the two sanctuaries enabled artistic exchange and provided a venue for expressing musical genius. Most importantly, these centers created a community around music. Again a reflexive relationship ensues, as the community influenced the artists by providing multicultural influences and safe havens, and the artists influence the community by creating a non-violent and open culture around jazz.

In sum, communities that are multicultural, musical and which provide safe havens foster the development and discovery of geniuses like Monk and other important musicians. These musicians in turn influence the community based on how it shaped them. In Monk’s case violence interacted with the promise of transcending racial boundaries through music and this enabled him to create a community beyond racial dichotomies (Stewart 2/24). Similarly, the musicians in Leimert Hill were following the same idea of creating a non-violent and open culture around jazz in order to move beyond violent divides. 

(I apologize for the inconsistent citing because my Kindle Edition didn't have page numbers and the Google book only had certain pages available)

Commented on : Leah Bleichblog

The Swing Era: Race Becomes Leading Debate Issue

“’The white folk still cannot compare to the really good Negroes in relaxed unpretentious dance music’” (Swing Changes 60)

This quote by John Hammond illustrates the racial tension and competition that Swing brought to Jazz. Hammond was very dedicated to bringing racial equality to the US (Swing Changes 64). In the 1930’s Swing was on the rise and quickly became a nationally recognized and highly debated music form. The race problems behind Jazz were exacerbated, and thus more publicly debated about, by the nationalization of Jazz, the heightened racialized competition during the Great Depression, the politicization of Jazz and the formation of mixed-race bands. These factors interacted to bring racial issues to the forefront of public debate and the new white Jazz critic was the prime entity that facilitated the public and intellectual debate about race and Jazz.  

               Through the invention of the radio, Swing spread across the country (Gioia 127). This nationalization of Jazz interacted with market pressures of capitalism to turn the music form into a commercialized product. Musicians now had to compete nationally in order to survive and thrive. The following Great Depression exacerbated this competition, as it drove many white musicians into playing Jazz to make a living (Gioia 128, Swing Changes 64). This new competition was highly unequal along racial lines and was intensified by white social and political dominance (Stewart 2/12). Since bands now had to travel and perform around the country in order to survive and make money, differing segregation laws in diverse states made it extremely difficult for the black musicians to compete with white ones (Stewart 2/12). This intensified racial competition led to an increased visibility and debate of the underlying racial and structural inequalities.

               Furthermore, Jazz at this time was politicized especially by left leaning Marxists as a revolutionary force (Swing Changes 73). Also, the magazine “Down Beat” wrote that “’Jazz, black and white, and democracy go hand in hand’” (Swing Changes 73). Jazz was displayed as highlighting and embodying deeper political ideologies and was used by the left and by “American Dream” promoters as a way to advocate for more racial equality (Swing Changes 73). This politicization helped spur even more debate and writing about the racial issues underlying the art form. 

               At the same time Jazz experienced some of the first interracial bands and thus directly brought racial issues to the forefront and to the audience. Benny Goodman, after being urged by Hammond “to break with the segregated tradition that had governed public performances and recordings,” attempted to integrate black musicians into his band (Swing Changes 55, Stewart 2/12). He was the first Jazz musician to play in Carnegie Hall, in order to promote Jazz as a respectable art form and his band included white and black musicians (Stewart 2/12). After than other bands tried the same strategy, as blacks were considered to have the superior musical ability. This combination also highlighted racial issues and spurred discussions about them.

               These three events in the 1930s facilitated the emergence of the white Jazz critic, who had the biggest role in writing, and promoting debate, about Jazz and the racial issues behind it. John Hammond, introduced in the beginning, was the most prominent figure in critiquing Jazz, especially concerning political and racial issues. He, for example, openly criticized black musicians, such as Ellington, “for distancing himself and his music from the troubles of his people” (Swing Changes 51). Further, he was a strong advocate for racial equality and his influence in the music genre promoted increased debate and writing about racial issues in Jazz (Swing Changes 63). 

               In sum, increased visibility of Jazz through nationalization, economic competition, the politicization of Jazz and interracial bands interacted to spur increased debate about racial issues. The prime movers behind this writing and debating were white Jazz critics, like Hammond, who elevated the debate to an intellectual and public level. Thus, all these factors contributed to the “Swing Era” being the age that race issues became ever more evident and thus were more talked and written about.

Commented on Jason Ortenber's blog