...19 July 2010 Jazz as a Black American Art Form : Definitions of the Jazz Preservation Act JEFF FARLEY Jazz music and culture have experienced a surge in popularity after the passage of the Jazz Preservation Act (JPA) in 1987. This resolution defined jazz as a black American art form, thus using race, national identity, and cultural value as key aspects in making jazz one of the nation’s most subsidized arts. Led by new cultural institutions and educational programs, millions of Americans have engaged with the history and canon of jazz that represent the values endorsed by the JPA. Record companies, book publishers, archivists, academia, and private foundations have also contributed to the effort to preserve jazz music and history. Such preservation has not always been a simple process, especially in identifying jazz with black culture and with America as a whole. This has required a careful balancing of social and musical aspects of jazz. For instance, many consider two of the most important aspects of jazz to be the blues aesthetic, which inevitably expresses racist oppression in America, and the democratic ethic, wherein each musician’s individual expression equally contributes to the whole. Balanced explanations of race and nationality are useful not only for musicologists, but also for musicians and teachers wishing to use jazz as an example of both national achievement and confrontation with racism. Another important aspect of the JPA is the definition of jazz as a ‘‘ high ’’...
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...descent. He began as a jazz player, playing the drums and became the most famous non-latino Latin jazz musician of the 1950s and 60s. Throughout his career Mr. Tjader enjoyed success and mainstream attention from Latin Jazz listeners, however, critics always wrote his music of as being too commercial and catering to popular taste. In this paper I will attempt to illustrate the notion that even though Mr. Tjader was unable to garner the acceptance of the Jazz critics of his time, he was nonetheless respected and admired by many of the influential musicians of his time, as well as by the musicians of today. Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr was born on 16th July 1925 in St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Tjader came from a family of performing vaudevillians as his father was a tap dancer and his mother was a piano player. It was no coincidence that Mr. Tjader would also take an interest in performing and he initially started dancing professionally when he was three until at the age of fourteen when he discovered jazz and taught himself the drums. With the exception of the piano lessons given to him, Mr. Tjader was self-taught on all of his instruments. In 1949, Mr. Tjader enrolled into the San Francisco State College. It was here when Mr. Tjader would meet a variety of young jazz musicians, including future jazz legends, Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond. The three musicians along with others formed the Dave Brubeck Octet, with Mr. Tjader on drums. “The Octet experimented with jazz employing odd time...
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...prosperity in the Roaring Twenties, jazz's growing popularity sparked a grave controversy, with many viewing the appeal of jazz as either an annoyance or a threat. b. Should the testament to the United States’ prosperity in the Roaring Twenties about jazz’s growing popularity be viewed as an annoyance or threat? c. Jazz’s growing popularity in the United States in a time known as the Roaring Twenties, was a dramatic turning point in the American life. The growing of this musical industry meant jazz would be thrived in adversity and come to symbolize a certain kind of American freedom, and would be called upon to lift the spirits and raise the morale of a frightened country. The growing of this genre would break barriers between Americans. II. Body a. Opponents of this position protest that jazz was an annoyance and a threat to America. People in the mid-twenties argued that “it is not music at all. It is merely an irritation of the nerves of hearing, a sensual teasing of the strings of physical passion.” They claimed that a moral disaster was upon young American girls at this time due to the “pathological, nerve-irritating, sex-exciting music of jazz orchestras." Also, the origins of jazz were claimed to be “the Negro’s brothels of the South”, which left many white older people to be appalled when they saw their children dancing to jazz music. Some even felt that playing this music backwards would make it sound better. b. Nevertheless, these arguments are...
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...In this day and age, many people listen to Jazz music for the mere purpose of enjoying the music. However, Jazz hasn’t always had this leisure role we know of in this modern time. Since its first appearance in New Orleans, Jazz has played several different roles in New York City’s society throughout the years. Since its debut in the late nineteenth century, the cultural aspect of Jazz music and its role in society has changed over time. Throughout history, several people have offered their definitions of “Jazz”, though not all of them have been exactly the same. For example, Joachim-Ernst Berendt characterizes Jazz as a "form of art music which originated in the United States through the confrontation of the Negro with European music" (Berendt)....
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...Seeing that Wynton Marsalis was born and raised in the birth place of Jazz music; it is no surprise that he was inspired by some of the greats of the Jazz genre and himself turned out to be a great musician in the world of Jazz. Wynton was born October 18, 1961 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was born into a musical family. Although his mother Deloris was not a musician, his father Ellis was a pianist and also a teacher of music. His older brother Bradford was a musician as well. As a child he would always hang around at different gigs his father would play at or listen in at rehearsals. He was not really into the type of music they were playing but he liked the players as people and what music meant for them. At that time in history, it took a great deal of character and integrity for southern musicians. Playing music was like a stab and segregation and he really admired all of them for that. (Wyntonmarsalis.org, December2012) At the age of six, Wynton received his first instrument; a trumpet from his father’s member Al Hirt. He was amazing from the moment he played his trumpet. He practiced every single day. By the time he was eight years old he played classical jazz in his church band with Danny Barker the banjo player. Jazz came very natural to Wynton; living in New Orleans which was oozing with jazz had a lot to do with that. From that point on Wynton played in every youth orchestra and community band that he could find to fit into his schedule. He had a passion...
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... AMERICAN CROSSROADS Edited by Earl Lewis, George Lipsitz, Peggy Pascoe, George Sánchez, and Dana Takagi 1. Border Matters: Remapping American Cultural Studies, by José David Saldívar 2. The White Scourge: Mexicans, Blacks, and Poor Whites in Texas Cotton Culture, by Neil Foley 3. Indians in the Making: Ethnic Relations and Indian Identities around Puget Sound, by Alexandra Harmon 4. Aztlán and Viet Nam: Chicano and Chicana Experiences of the War, edited by George Mariscal 5. Immigration and the Political Economy of Home: West Indian Brooklyn and American Indian Minneapolis, by Rachel Buff 6. Epic Encounters: Culture, Media, and U.S. Interests in the Middle East,1945–2000, by Melani McAlister 7. Contagious Divides: Epidemics and Race in San Francisco’s Chinatown, by Nayan Shah 8. Japanese American Celebration and Conflict: A History of Ethnic Identity and Festival, 1934–1990, by Lon Kurashige 9. American Sensations: Class, Empire, and the Production of Popular Culture, by Shelley Streeby 10. Colored White: Transcending the Racial Past, by David R. Roediger 11. Reproducing Empire: Race, Sex, Science, and U.S. Imperialism in Puerto Rico, by Laura Briggs 12. meXicana Encounters: The Making of Social Identities on the Borderlands, by Rosa Linda Fregoso 13. Popular Culture in the Age of White Flight, by Eric Avila 14. Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom, by Tiya Miles 15. Cultural Moves: African Americans and the Politics of Representation, by...
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...Renaissance. He casted off the influences of white poets and wrote with the rhythmic meter of blues and jazz), Claude McKay (urged African Americans to stand up for their rights in his powerful verses),Billie Holiday (Billie Holiday was one of the most influential jazz singers of all time. She had a thriving career for many years before she lost her battle with addiction), and Jean Toomer wrote plays and short stories, as well as poems, to capture the spirit of his times), to name a few—pushed art to its limit as a form of expression and representation. These are some of the famous African Americans who shaped the influential movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. During this period Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars. In November 1924, Langston Hughes returned to the United States and worked various jobs. In 1925, he was working as a busboy in a Washington, D.C. hotel restaurant when he met American poet Vachel Lindsay. Hughes showed some of his poems to Lindsay, who was impressed enough to use his connections to promote Hughes’s poetry and ultimately bring it to a wider audience. In 1925, Hughes’s poem “The Weary Blues” won first prize in the Opportunity magazine literary competition, and Hughes also received a scholarship to attend Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania. While studying at Lincoln, Hughes poetry came to the attention of novelist and critic Carl Van Vechten,...
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...Harlem Renaissance was a time of explosive culture and growth in the black community. During this time in the 1920s and 30s, it was not only the birth place of jazz but also we heard voices of the African American Authors who were taken serious by their white connects for the first time in history. It focused on portraying black culture and life in the ghetto. And it gave the African American Culture uniqueness within literature and art. Harlem Renaissance was an evident racial pride that symbolized the melodic theme of the New Negro. New Negro challenged the penetrating racial discrimination to encourage socialistic help of art and literature. As to be significant in the Harlem Renaissance the writers used poetry to present the African American experiences. Grabbing the attention between both black and white readers around the world. One Poet that set that bar really was Langston Hughes he was one of the most popular black poets of the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes was great at his job with more diversity in his choice of writings. He had written Plays, Novels, Poems, and Short Stories, Most of his writings were the real situations that really happened in black cultures. Movies were highly looked up upon in the Harlem Renaissance. D.W. Griffith directed “The Birth of a Nation” the film was over African Americans directors who countered negative stereotypes promoted in majority of the mainstream movies. Then released films in The Harlem Renaissance showcased the struggle of the...
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...Renaissance was sparked by the Great Migration from 1919 – 1926 in which African Americans began moving to northern cities to find employment and a better way of life. The musicians of this era were very influential in renewing the culture and history of the United States. Jazz, race, and class divided Harlem and New York cities. Some historians have said the best way to understand the Harlem Renaissance is by understanding the music (http://historyoftheharlemrenaissance.weebly.com/index.html; www.1920s-fashion-and-music.com/Harlem-Renaissance-1920s.html). With the roots of jazz coming from slave songs, it is truly an African-American invention. This newly formed music utilized the dissonant “blue” note. This modification to the to the standard major scale allowed the musician to play the note flat; usually the third, fifth, or seventh note of the scale. Music critic Sidney Finkelstein stated, “It expresses the hope and struggle for freedom, the vitality which enables a people to wrest joy out of misery and to assert the triumph of human beings over the obstacles that would grind them down.” ("MindEdge," 2014) Jazz was the sound of the 1920’s; with the Roaring Twenties, individuality blossomed along with the pure jazz sounds from Harlem. Nightclubs began opening in New York. Many black musicians were employed to perform in these New York nightclubs, but none were allowed admittance (Hilliard, 2014). Per Ted Giogia, “Middle-class and upper-class black families were, at best, ambivalent...
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...main protagonist of Ralph Ellison invisible man is not the only one who remains unseen as the novel unfolds. Another element also cloaked in invisibility follows our unknown character throughout the novel, changing both beat and tempo as the novel develops. Rather like the invisible man, the ongoing musical beat that runs through out the invisible man’ may not be visible yet it is very clearly felt and heard. It is the distinct incorporation of the inflowing musical beat that allows for an interloping of ideas based upon the visible, the invisible and the creative with the novel. The main theme within the ‘invisible man’ is that of the more obvious theme of invisibility. Ellison explores through the use of music such as in the form of jazz the moments or experiences where invisibility takes control. Such breaks in visibility signify a chance for the protagonist to escape and break the mould of the what can be called ‘constitutional visibility’ allowing for the exploration of ones own identity and individuality. An individuality and identity that is not in any way restricted to what is generally accepted as visible. Our Guarantee To You No Quibble Money Back Guarantee! We are so confident in our ability to produce top level academic work that we are prepared to back it with a "No Quibble, Money Back" guarantee! Such breaks that allow for such explorations to take place within the novel can be seen from the very beginning where in the prologue the protagonist recalls...
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...“Ike Gets Dizzy” 1. Why did the state department use jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Louie Armstrong as goodwill ambassadors? Why was this policy opposed by the White Citizens Council of Alabama? (p. 26) They were elected to be the goodwill ambassadors because the state department thought they would preach the gospel of American Freedom to suck Third World allies as Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon, and Ghana. The White Citizens Council of Alabama opposed this policy because they were racists and thought of Jazz as part of the “negro” community. Martin Luther King Jr, “Knock at Midnight” (1967) 2. During the Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-56), 70,000 African Americans in Montgomery, Alabama, boycotted city busses for a year to protest segregation. Martin Luther King Jr was just 26 years old when he led that boycott. Eleven years later, in this speech, he looked back. What kinds of fears and threats did King face and how did he overcome those fears? Threating telephone calls, threating their life their families and their children’s. At midnight he came home got into bed and the telephone started ringing who said “nigga we are tired of you and your mess and if you are not out of town in three days we are going to blow your brains”. He overcame those fears with logical reason following what Martin Luther king had said to fight for justice and with the guidance of Jesus. 3. The images in the video are all photos are African Americans engaged in non-violent direct...
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...1960’s All forms of Black music, from jazz to rock and roll, played an important part in the Civil Rights Movement. The songs were sung for multiple purposes and played a critical role in inspiring, activating, and giving voice to the people involved. The evolution of music during the early 1950’s and 1960’s in the Black freedom struggle reflects the evolution of the Civil Rights Movement itself. The progressive thought of the 1950s nurtured new ideas and cultures including the Civil Rights Movement and the fast spread of rock and roll. One such cultural revival occurred after the end of World War II during a time of change, prosperity and restoration. The “Puritan dicta” outlined by Baldwin represents the American ideology before the Second World War. As the first settlers of this nation, the Puritans set the mold for many common American ideologies. In the Puritan view white represented good and black represented evil, including Africans and their culture. After the war, Baldwin states that the former puritanical views of whites will be challenged. Musicians such as Elvis Presley were the first to issue this challenge to white society. Early rockers like Elvis would pave the way for social commentary in music that would add much fire to the Civil Rights Movement. To fully understand the explosion of popularity of Black music in the years following World War II, one must understand the social conditions in which Blacks and Whites lived in the South. An article entitled...
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...Racism is also found in many of Hughes works. “Music” was being identify in many of Hughes poems because of the beat of Jazz and Blues. Hughes wrote “American Dream” in his poems because of the perspective of the society of African Americans, Native Americans, Immigrants, and poor farmers. Also he wrote about “Racism” since in his time it was being faced a lot. He even wrote about “Aspiration” since african americans were treated as “second-class citizens”. They had to hide their dreams because they were nobodys white people treated them as they were nothing since they were a different race. Also Hughes shows “Wisdom” as in being passed down to generations, such as a mother telling her son “To never give up in life, even when the road is hard”. In his point of view Hughes was really realistic in his theme...
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...The Harlem Renaissance From 1920 until about 1930 an unprecedented outburst of activity among African-Americans occurred in all field of art. Beginning as a series of literary discussions in the lower Manhattan (Greenwich Village) and upper Manhattan (Harlem) sections of New York City, this African-American cultural movement became known as “The New Negro Movement’’ and later as the Harlem Renaissance. More than a literary movement and more than a social revolt against racism, the Harlem Renaissance exalted the unique culture of African- Americans and redefined African-Americans were encouraged to celebrate their heritage and to become “The New Negro,” a term coined in 1925 by sociologist and critic Alain LeRoy Locke. One of the factors contributing to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance was the great migration of African-Americans to northern cities (such as New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.) between 1919 and 1926. In his influential book The New Negro (1925), Locke described the northward migration of blacks as "something like a spiritual emancipation." One of the factors contributing to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance was the great migration of African-Americans to northern cities (such as New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.) between 1919 and 1926. In his influential book The New Negro (1925), Locke described the northward migration of blacks as "something like a spiritual emancipation." In the 1920's African-Americans seemed to have passed...
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...and gospel music surrounded Eunice [Simone] from birth” and from a very early age Simone “displayed a natural ability for music.” (Freyermuth, pg.1) At just “two and a half [years old] her parents found Eunice sitting at their family organ playing a church hymn entirely from memory” (Freyermuth, pg.1) and her mother later stated that as young as infancy she was prodigious being able to match pitch vocally with any music she heard; a skill that would be present throughout her life. By the young age of five she could “play virtually anything by ear” (Simone, Cleary pg. 2) and was the official accompaniment for her church’s choir. Gaining her notoriety in the community and the attention of Mrs. Miller, “Mary Kate’s employer… [And] “The first white person I [Simone] knew at all.”” (Simone, Cleary pg.6) After seeing Simone’s early proficiency on the organ and piano Miller offered to “pay for private piano lessons for one year” (Freyermuth, pg.2) with the exception that she show continued promise to which the Waymons, whom could not afford lessons happily agreed. Her piano instructor was an Englishwoman: Muriel Massinovitch whom Simone would call with endearment “Miz Mazzy” (Marin, pg.16). Massinovitch would foster in Simone and instrumental backbone to her musical artistry and an inherent love in European classical music. After a year’s time it was clear to all the Simone was meant to continue on with her training in classical piano; so to ensure this Massinovitch “set up the Eunice...
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