Anveshan‘In Verse’
2016
All that’s
Jazz
Presented by –
Middle School
Nirmal Bhartia School
Contents
Acknowledgement
The journey unveiled
Sound of Redemption
The first sight
A walk through the evolution of Jazz
History Recalled
New horizons
At odds
Flag bearers
Jazz Divas
The final leap
References
Acknowledgement
This research project would not have been possible without
the assistance of many individuals and institutions, each of
whom deserve special thanks. We are extremely grateful and
indebted to our Principal for her support and encouragement
throughout this project. We are obliged to our teachers for
their thoughtful advice and critical eye throughout the writing
and research process broadened our perspective and
significantly improved this Project.
In addition, we are grateful to the school management for
arranging a visit to the American Center, and the Piano Man
Club, and the screening of the documentary on Jazz Artists.
This gave us access to the sources, and secondary works
concerning our Project.
Most of all, we would like to acknowledge the love and
support of our family and friends. Their unfaltering
encouragement, emotional support, and respect gave us
strength and patience to sail through.
Any remaining errors are ours.
Middle School,
Nirmal Bhartia School.
The journey unveiled
“Where words fail, music speaks!”
- Hans Christian Andersen
We have a story to tell…
Of a community which struggled for their right to dignity
and equality even after getting freed from slavery in America.
Of people who were segregated, racially abused and were
snatched off from the ownership of their own musical
identity and expression, yet they kept their musical heritage
alive even when they were not given credit for it.
Of women who participated in the movement equally carving
a space for themselves.
Of artists who were so great that their musical legacy still
continues around the world as Jazz and its various forms.
The task…
Through this research project, we have tried to trace the
history of early jazz, the music, the people and the places.
An exploration of how jazz came into being and evolved
during the early twentieth century.
We have traced the fast and dramatic change jazz brought to
the society with its loud and peppy rhythms and its free
modes of expression – the language to describe itself.
We have looked at various questions around the Jazz
Revolution such as - how the word ‘Jazz’ came up, what is the
history behind jazz, what was the social impact of jazz on the
society, how it was more than just music, how it emancipated
various groups of people and how jazz is still ongoing in the
American society as well as ours.
Our learning…
Understood how events from the past impact the present.
Discovered through extensive reading how the blacks
struggled to create a space for themselves in a society which
was predominately white.
Learnt how jazz played an integral part of African American
culture.
Learnt to respect every community, their abilities and skills.
Learnt to not participate in any form of discrimination and to
raise a voice against it.
Developed a sense of compassion towards people who have
struggled to fight for their right to equality and dignity.
Learnt to accept difference in various culture and traditions
with time.
Understood that somebody’s trash can be somebody’s art.
Hence, to accept all without bias.
Learnt how to recapitulate the movement of jazz in a song,
and putting it to music.
Learnt to appreciate the past.
Learnt how research, good writing skills and valuable critical
thinking skills need to be brought into play to demonstrate
historical understanding.
Developed valuable interpersonal skills and became careful
observers, skilled interviewers, better conversationalists, more
mature listeners, and poised speakers.
Trail
30 students across class VII to VIII conducted an in-depth
research on the topic ‘All that’s Jazz.’
We underwent a brainstorming session, held discussions and
made presentations leading to a consensus to study about the
Jazz Movement and the struggle of the Afro-Americans.
We chalked out a plan, and organized the execution of the
project.
We participated in a range of activities including field trips,
reading relevant books, watching documentaries, browsing
the internet, meeting the Jazz artists, playing Jazz
instruments with them.
We wrote the lyrics, and put it in to music to complete the
song.
Further, we compiled the research work and documented the
final project.
The Quest Begins
Brainstorming session
Work in Progress
Exploration at the American Center
Playing to the melody of jazz
Time to Analyze
Our Reference points
Making of coverpage
Seeing is believing
Sound of music
Song of Redemption
It all started in New Orleans
A band of 5 or 6 to see
And when they played, they all knew
This will get them through.
Jazz was not just music to them
It was their freedom, freedom from Hell!
It was a movement to free their souls
And that’s how they played through it all.
Oh! How they fought? How they protested?
And then they grew and they detested.
Through their music they all expressed
Their life of sorrow and distress.
But little did they know at all
The whites would, make a call
‘The Devils Music’ they did say …
And later on took on its way.
Many blacks too did not see
And thought of it as below dignity.
Until one bright and sunny day
All took to it in another way.
The banjo sounds and a band of 6
Inspired all with their lyrics.
Through the music they did tell
That they were more ways to rebel.
A woman’s voice was now heard too
For they too sang and they too grew.
But in the end they came out strong.
They now knew, it would not be long.
For they would now tell history
Through their music for eternity.
A band of 5 or 6 we saw
Had now become an orchestra.
The gory days had been put behind
Now the music is all you find.
The first sight
Risky. Dangerous. Scary. A way to break the rules…
We are not talking about failing to study for a math test or
disobeying parents. We are talking about a type of music
called Jazz and the revolution it brought in America. Despite
slavery’s having ended in 1865, African Americans still did
not have the same rights as white Americans. But jazz was
music that both black and white people could enjoy. By the
1920s, jazz was growing in popularity, and included influences
from Europe, as well as Africa.
Jazz has all the elements that other music has: It has melody;
it has harmony, and it has rhythm, but what sets jazz apart is
this cool thing called improvisation. That means making it up
on the spot. You just play. It was free and soulful. Jazz was
more than just music; it was a way through which the blacks
created a space for themselves in the societies which was
predominantly of whites.
“Faced with racism, discrimination, and segregation,
blacks have always found comfort and a
sense of peace in their music. Music continues to be a means
by which the anger, grief, compassion and desire
for change is transformed into positive energy for blacks.”
- N.J Dawson
At the height of its influence, jazz was a cultural movement,
particularly influencing the young in dress, language, and
attitude. Its loud beat, diverse instruments and peppy
improvisations seemed odd and outrageous at a time when
people were used to classical music which was technically
perfect.
Through this research project, we have tried to trace the
history of early jazz, the music, the people and the places. An
exploration of how jazz came into being and evolved during
the early twentieth century. We have explored the fast and
dramatic change jazz brought to the society with its loud and
peppy rhythms, and its free modes of expression – the
language to describe itself.
We have looked at various questions around the Jazz
Revolution such as - What is the history behind jazz? What
was the social impact of jazz on the society? How it was more
than just music? How it emancipated various groups of
people? How jazz is still ongoing in the American society as
well as ours?
A walk through the
evolution of Jazz
Hundreds of years ago, in the fields where black people
worked as slaves and made up songs to pass time, to express
themselves and to keep alive the culture and traditions of
their African homelands. It was not called jazz then, but the
way the slaves were playing and singing music was different
and special.
Jazz developed from Afro-American music which included:
Work songs, spiritual music, minstrelsy (a stage
entertainment usually performed by whites with blackened
faces who performed songs, dances and comedy ostensibly of
black American origin), and other forms.
The music of America’s black people came to be called jazz in
the South in the early 1900s; New Orleans, Louisiana, is often
called the birthplace of jazz, where it began with small bands
of five-to-seven players in a style now known by the name of
Dixieland.
With the help of national radio, the barely known new jazz
sound spread quickly over America, and found many
supporters. For nearly the first half of the twentieth century,
from about 1915 to 1955, jazz was a dominant form of popular
dance music in the United States. Although for a certain
period of its existence, jazz was dance music, jazz musicians
were probably not attracted to this style of music primarily
for this reason. From its earliest days, jazz seemed to have
been music that, in part, musicians played for themselves, as a
way to free themselves from the rigidity of standard dance or
marching bands or other forms of commercial or popular
music, which they found repetitive and unchallenging to play.
The first jazz-style to receive recognition as a fine art was
bebop, which is mainly instrumental and was formed by
serious black jazz musicians who experimented with new
ideas in the late night jam sessions. Bebop evolved in the 1940s
and was said to have been created by blacks in a way that
whites could not copy.
Moreover, Jazz revolution coincided with the arrival of the
New Negro Renaissance, also known as the Harlem
Renaissance, a period covering from 1919 to 1939. This period
in African American life featured a self-conscious attempt by
black leaders Jazz became prominent during a period of broad
artistic and political ferment among African Americans.
History recalled
The history of jazz proves that black musicians are the
inventors and innovators of jazz, and that has been a major
accomplishment of the blacks. According to J. Wheaton
(1994), an innovator’s “job is not to entertain, but rather, to
make the listener aware and to force the audience to confront
often disturbing realities and hidden truths about themselves,
their society and their world” (p. 143). Jazz is often referred to
as “Black classical music.”
Amiri Baraka, was the first who argued that jazz is an African
American music and also called jazz “Black music” later. In
fact, one of the first musicians to label his music “Negro
music” was Duke Ellington, who made it a priority to express
the African American culture greatly in it. Many historians
believe that blacks were cheated out of their invention of jazz
music. In other words, commercial success was only obtained
by whites. Yet most white jazz musicians did not have the
improvisational skills or originality that the black musicians
displayed in their music. Whites simply replicated what they
heard in the past, whereas blacks could spontaneously invent.
“I’ve seen black musicians when they’d be jamming
at a jam session with white musicians —
a whole lot of difference.
The white musician can jam if he’s got some sheet music
in front of him…
But that black musician, he picks up
his horn and starts blowing
some sounds that he never thought of before.
He improvises, he creates.”
(Malcolm X quoted in Gerard, 1998, p. 78)
However, there are opposing points of view when it comes to
who invented jazz. Many historians supported the whites, and
stated that jazz does not owe its existence to any one race, but
obtained its musical identity from both - the African and
European traditions.
Some of them acknowledged that blacks invented jazz, but
did not feel that whites have stolen it. They stated that over
the time many European features such as composition,
internal structure, and harmony became part of it.
New Horizons
Jazz created a sense of integration between blacks and whites
in the industry. Buster Bailey, a black jazz musician said,
“One thing I’m happy to see is the integration that is
happening among musicians.” Discrimination still existed,
but in the jazz community, musicians were somehow
considered as equals. Whites were hired to perform in several
black bands and vice versa.
Opportunities were given to black musicians by the radio and
recording industry, and popular black bands were promoted as
long as there was a demand for jazz music by white
Americans. Despite, their social background some of these
jazz artists received recognition as serious composers and
several conducted well-known symphony orchestras and were
invited to give concerts in Carnegie Hall. Benny Goodman, a
white jazz bandleader, brought to stardom Teddy Wilson,
Lionel Hampton and Charlie Christian.
Jazz music has not only integrated people in the United
States, but also brought them together internationally. It has
been influenced by third world countries such as Latin
America, Africa, the Middle East, and India.
Great jazz musicians integrated international ideas into their
music; for instance, Duke Ellington has an album named Far
East Suite, and two of Coltrane’s albums are named Africa
and India.
At odds
The jazz industry caused a great deal of exploitation and
discrimination by whites against blacks in the twentieth
century.
Black jazz musicians were less credited for their invention
and innovation of jazz music. Jazz music created a sense of
identity, originality, and social unity among black musicians,
but they were seldom credited with inventing it. Historians
believe that this refusal of whites to credit blacks, is because
they refused to equate anything valuable with African
Americans. According to Miles Davis, this is the case because
“the white man likes to win everything.”
Whites became more famous than blacks because of their
unwillingness to give blacks credit for their talents. Whites
were granted titles such as “King of Swing” and “King of
Jazz.” It created anger, fear and resentment among black jazz
musicians.
Rex Stewart says, “Where the control is, the money is. Do
you see any of us running any record companies, booking
agencies, radio stations, and music magazines?” In other
words, the recording/distribution industry was in complete
control, not black musicians. Because of this power and
contempt for black art, blacks were likely to suffer and the
recording industry basically determined the economic success
or failure of an artist. White musicians who benefited from
the talent of black musicians were labeled exploiters and for
the financial gain they drew from the music, they were called
thieves.
The recording industry has played a major role in the
commercialization of jazz music, which has led to uniformity.
Jazz music would not have been widely distributed to the
general public without the recording industry. As a result,
blacks were socially affected, and they had limited
opportunities to showcase their originality and were forced to
create music that appealed only to whites.
Jazz became so commercialized that the industry was less
dependent on black innovation, but rather produced a music
that was lacking the essence of jazz—its improvisation.
The most popular and best-paid bands were white and with
the development of radio, which was an excellent form for
publicizing the music, the best paid studio jobs were
predominantly secured by whites. In other words, because of
race, black jazz musicians have experienced great
disadvantages throughout the history of jazz music.
Furthermore, the jazz music industry contributed a great deal
to the continuous victimization of blacks. Whites continued
to exploit black jazz musicians for financial gain, even in
death. For instance, a month after Bessie Smith died, John
Hammond, an employee of Columbia Records, wrote an
article in Down Beat magazine saying that “a special Bessie
Smith memorial album will be released…and this will be the
best buy of the year in music.” Evidently he was more
interested in promoting his fame and fortune than paying
respect to the dead. However, Hammond frequently referred
to himself as being the protector of black artists to increase his
reputation.
The turndown
A social effect that was pivotal in jazz was the social stigma
associated with the music, not only by whites, but also by
blacks. This stigma created an environment for black
exploitation because jazz was considered black folk music.
The stigma consisted of a belief held by whites that the
tradition of African American music was not art, but was
rather artistically worthless, trivial and only tolerated for
profitability. For instance, “Jazz Must Go!” was the title of an
article published in 1921 in the Ladies Home Journal.
However, in the twentieth century, African American jazz
musicians received many opportunities overseas. Ross states
that though the music had originated in the United States,
because of its carrier, “the so-called Negros,” the dominant
group (whites) quickly condemned it. Likewise, in the 1920s,
jazz was thought of as “a backward, low form of expression”
by reputable blacks from Oklahoma City, said the black
novelist Ralph Ellison.
One must wonder what brought on this negative view of jazz
among blacks. Was it the race factor? Yes, it was. Historians
believed the main reason, was that middle class blacks wanted
to fit into white society. They rejected jazz because they
thought it was too much a part of black slave heritage.
Individual blacks have tried to integrate into the American
mainstream by achieving high levels of education; however,
assuming the mainstream culture meant abandoning or
destroying their own culture.
However, black musicians, and the black middle class ceased
to be ashamed of their culture with the Civil Rights
Movement of 1950s and 1960s, and became proud of jazz
music.
The Flag bearers
The Jazz movement was a significant movement in bringing
up the jazz music and making it popular between the white
elites, and its development from its emancipation to its
acceptance. The Jazz greats from the Roaring Twenties were
– King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, King Ory and Duke
Ellington etc.
The famous band then was the “Earlier and King Orchestra”
in 1921, Houston Texas. In 1924 Louis Armstrong joined the
“Fletcher Henderson” Dance band for a year and featured as a
soloist.
One of the popular songs of Armstrong’s album was:
“My Sin in Skin,
What Did I Do to Turn Black and Blue?”
Armstrong is the most important figure in the history of jazz.
He transformed a social music into art and a place where a
musician, regardless of race or geography, could find a voice.
He was a central influence as an instrumentalist and as a
vocalist. He was also very popular at a time when jazz was
considered primitive and degenerate. Armstrong changed that
tradition by inspiring a new generation of musicians, both
black and white, who were interested in unregulated
improvisation. With Armstrong, jazz had the potential to
become universal.
Another distinctive and pivotal figure in the world of jazz
was Duke Ellington. Duke Ellington played a major role in
popularizing jazz music in Harlem, and throughout the
nation. Ellington was a master pianist and skillfully used
elements of improvisation, jazz rhythmic and harmonic
patterns.
Apart from them, there were many Jazz artists who
revolutionized the movement and played an important part in
the Civil Right Movement.
Jazz Divas
The Jazz movement played a significant role in not only the
rights of the black community but also of the women. All this
happened after the First World War. Because of the recession
that followed, women now started working in order to fulfill
the financial needs of the family. More women started
attending college and were educated.
In the 1920’s, a new generation of women came in and rebelled
against the society where men possessed freedom but they did
not. The “New Women” as they called themselves, did not
follow the social norms and started living a new, more liberal,
lifestyle. They now started expressing their emotions and
opinions through jazz music and dance. A new fashion named
the “Flapper Style” emerged which was a comfortable attire
for jazz.
At the end of the struggle, women gained more freedom as
their voice was finally heard. In 1925 Nellie Taylor Ross
became the first women elected as governor in the United
States. In 1928, for the first time women participated in the
Olympics. They even gained a right to vote. They got the
right to negotiate the terms of their employment.
The jazz movement played a very important role for giving
the freedom to women that is till date enjoyed today.
However, women musicians were too often judged for their
appearances, rather than their talent and they faced pressure
to look good onstage and in photos. Only a few of the many
women [songwriters] in America had their music published
and heard during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Women struggled to write and publish music in the man's
world of 20th-century.
It was expected that women would perform music, not make
music. In 1880, Chicago music critic George P. Upton wrote,
Women in Music, in which he argued that “...women lacked
the inborn creativity to compose good music.” By 1900, there
were many more women songwriters, but many were still
forced to use pseudonyms or initials to hide the fact that they
were women.
Nevertheless, many women jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald,
Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith etc. were able to make a name in
the musical industry of Jazz.
The final leap
After all that the African-Americans had been through, it is
the music, which was close to their hearts that remained
constant. Music, which made them stronger emotionally.
Music, which enabled them to grow. Music, that helped them
unite. Music, which set their path to freedom. Music, which
gave them a sense of identity. It was, Jazz, the music, which
changed their lives for the better.
This genre of music is famous around the globe. In fact, it had
been playing around the world since 1910’s. This was because,
the African-Americans, who were slaves then, were treated
cruelly. In order to escape, they went to many different
countries like Britain, Japan and even Australia. They did this
to live in a more tolerant place where they could be accepted
in the society. With them, they brought the Jazz music to
these different cultures. Jazz being very playful and
spontaneous, it intrigued people and as a result, this music
was fused with many different accents. It was interpreted
differently. It mixed with the local styles of music as well. .Jazz now, as a genre is different in different places. It has
international recognition but the basic definition of jazz has
still not been coined. However, the music is appreciated
everywhere, it is respected everywhere and is celebrated
everywhere. Even in India, there are Jazz Festivals being
organized. There are special places where one can go and
enjoy this music. There are concerts being held. The same is
the case worldwide.
Jazz music, started in African-American ghettos when a
group of 6 people would sit together and sing, has come a long
way that now all the 6 continents in this world appreciate it.
Today, jazz music is progressing in many ways. Despite, its
economic decline, and struggle to survive because of the
developed wealth of rock and pop, there have been many
opportunities for the survival of jazz. Jazz began to penetrate
the music programs of high schools, colleges and universities.
Jazz has also gotten much recognition in the United States
and around the world through jazz festivals, and jazz clubs.
International Jazz Day, 30th April 2016 celebration culminated
with televised All-Star global concert- ‘Jazz at the White
House’ hosted by President Obama and Michelle Obama.
Overseas festivals have been more successful than festivals in
the United States; in places like Switzerland, the Netherlands
and Italy, jazz festivals have all broken records for attendance.
Even in India, we have various jazz clubs and artists, and we
were fortunate enough to visit one of those- The Piano Man
Club and meet two brilliant jazz artists- Arjun Sir and
Vasundhara Ma’am. Moreover, every year a Jazz festival
occurs in Delhi, and we are looking forward to be a part of it
this year.
Our Moment…
Runners -up for the Best
Lyrics for Anveshan 2016.
References
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American jazz music of the 1960s and 1970s. Lewiston, NY: Edwin
Mellen Press.
Dawson, N. J. (2001). Can you sing jazz? Perception and appreciation
of jazz music among African American young adults. In J. L.
Conyers, Jr. (Ed.), African American jazz and rap: Social and
philosophical examinations of black expressive behavior (pp. 201210). Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
Dorsey, L. (2001). “And all that jazz” has African roots! In J. L.
Conyers, Jr. (Ed.), African American jazz and rap: Social and
philosophical examinations of black expressive behavior (pp. 35-54).
Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
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in the jazz community. Westport, CT: Praeger.
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urban America. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
Ross, L. (2001). Jazz musicians in postwar Europe and Japan. In J. L.
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Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
Thomas, R. (2001). The rhythm of rhyme: A look at rap music as an
art form from a jazz perspective. In J. L. Conyers, Jr. (Ed.), African
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Wheaton, J. (1994). All that jazz! New York: Ardsley House.
Thank
You.