Improvisation

When signing up for the History of Jazz, I really had no idea what to expect. The only thing I assumed that I would learn was about the many different jazz artists who made a huge impact in the genre and the type of styles and their songs that made them to be perceived as legends. I also thought that the intensity of the class would be more laid back and that there would not be a lot of work but again I was completely wrong and did not know what I was in for.

The History of Jazz has been a very well thought out course that really opened my mind and broaden my horizons of music. We went through the timeline of jazz from its origins all the way up to recent years. One of the biggest surprises for me was the amount of impact the different cities had in the development and growth of jazz. New Orleans which was the birthplace of jazz provided the beginning by bringing a lot of different cultures and ethnicities together, particularly African. As jazz moved north into Chicago and New York it started to arrive into popular cultures as jazz music and newly developed styles such as swing and bebop into the eyes of the public by having legends such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. One of the biggest surprises that I was expecting from this class was the amount of racial tensions which was critical in jazz. It all started with the slave trade union where slaves were abruptly taken from their home in Western Africa. There was also the racial tensions in Chicago in the 1930’s that led to the riots and “black capitalism” and “black nationalism.” There was division in New York as well, as there was tension between blacks and whites, as black musicians were known for making jungle musicians and white people were known to attend and critic.

One of the topics that I wanted to talk about was the idea of Genius. This word was used a lot by Professor Steward about particular artist who transcended generations and made their stamp on jazz and it is clear to see that when listening to their works compared to other jazz artists during that time. Buddy Bolden was one of the biggest individual jazz that was fundamental to the growth of jazz and was instrumental role model for legends such Louis Armstrong and James P. Johnson who were the founders of their respective arts, Swing and Classical Piano styles respectively. Those artists were also considered Genius because they brought a new element of jazz that had not be seen before. With the word “genius” I think the main thing Professor Steward was trying to across as “genius” in terms of intelligence but in terms of being ahead of their generation and being original and unique that set them outside the norm and into the legendary status that they are currently in, when discussing the history of jazz.