Swing Era in the 1930's

Jazz has always been a genre of music that had racial discourse in its history. Whether it was the tension between the Europeans and West African slaves that arrived to America that created the concept of jazz or the evolution of it in Chicago that was highlighted through “black nationalism” starting the assimilation of a black popular culture, race has always caused controversy in the history of jazz. There may not have been more explicit then in the1930’s and the swing era. 

The swing era, which is highlighted for the jiggerbug and white jazz. There was often tension between white and black musicians because they were in competition with one another for the financial awards and cultural respect for mastery of this role art form. Duke Ellington talked about how black people had to make a compromise with the racial and economic dynamics of success for a Black man by performing in front of predominately white crowds despite segregation policy and hiring an agent to mainstream his music. White critics and audiences were extremely rough on black musicians for not capturing the true essence of jazz.

In fact in order for black musicians to survive the racial barriers of the 1930’s they had to disguise a willingness to tolerate racial indignities for the sake of commercial success. This demonstrated another big point in racial tension: the artist vs critic in which the Black artist is asked to be a “representative” of the race that is not as fortunate to have access to the economies of commercial jazz. It stings so bad because jazz have been White. In conclusion swing was jazz as politics. And with it a popular audience- a largely White audience that could now critique Black jazz artist from a new subject position in American society and culture.

The Importance of the Chicago Style

In my eyes Chicago was single handedly the most important city for jazz in the 1920’s. It was the first city that fully embraced what New Orleans developed and led the transition of jazz from the south to the north as musicians began to migrate up. Chicago and its jazz movement was the reason why the swing era style of music developed and was home to some of the greatest jazz musicians ever to live.

One of the first and biggest reasons that led to the development of jazz in Chicago was King Oliver’s Creole Band who was offered a residency at a big dance hall on Chicago’s South Side called the Lincoln Gardens. Oliver’s band was one of the first Chicago dance bands and led the transition to going above and beyond the New Orleans style. “Oliver’s band were not traditionalists so much as a pack of modernist, looking to make commercial records by taking pieces from the past and arranging them in new shapes.” (Allen Lowe. Lecture Notes)

Social roles and racial communities played a huge part in shaping the expression of jazz in Chicago. Between 1915 and 1920 5 million black people migrated North and 1 in every ten lived in the South Side of Chicago. It was during this time that the Chicago Race Riot of 1919 occurred, one of the bloodiest conflicts in American history. Soon after the black population learned the lesson of self reliance and developed a racial nationalism that had never been seen before in American history. This led to what is called “black capitalism” as well as “black entrepreneurialism” and most importantly a newly created thirst for American popular culture.

This thirst of popular culture created an opportunity of jazz musicians, dancers, singers, and others performers to flourish in Chicago since jazz was entertainment music that was to performed in ballrooms or dance floors unlike folk music or the country blues. This in its own demonstrates that Chicago had its own style of love and theft.  The Chicago style is brash, sparkling, upbeat, with spectacular trumpet playing that usually includes a bluesy swinging rhythm section. What made Chicago stand out was how danceable the music was. It moveable style led the shift from the brothel to the dance pavilions in Chicago for middle and working patrons. 

It seemed like as jazz moved to Chicago, the role of the soloist became more prominent, and the ensemble became more complex. New Orleans was much different because the collective style prevailed over the individual for the most parts although there were standouts such as Buddy Boldens, who’s talents far surpassed era. Chicago individual players were allowed more freedom to improvise probably due to the free-spirit the city offered. 

There may not be an individual who resembles this Chicago style more then Louis Armstrong, the genius of swing. There was a difference in the way he sounded his trumpet. He sustained powerful long notes that sounded like lyrics. He was much bluesier and captured that style of music that was played in late night jazz dance halls in Chicago.

You can make the argument that New York had just of much of an effect on jazz as Chicago but to me the reason why I felt like Chicago was more important was because it had a true style led by one of the best jazz musicians ever. New York advocates would argue that they had the essence of jazz far earlier then Chicago and that there piano jazz style was very important but the whole social background and history of how jazz came to be in Chicago and the fact that it led to the swing style in the 1930’s gave it the edge over Harlem and New York.