Jazz in New York and Chicago During the 1920s
New York and Chicago During the 1920's The 1920's was a huge decade for the phenomena known as "Jazz". Due to the closing of the seaport in New Orleans, musicians were forced to travel up the Mississippi to find work. Two of the cities most affected by this move were Chicago and New York. Chicago was home primarily for New Orleans traditional music during the 1920's. From this New Orleans style came four major types of jazz: Boogie-Woogie, Chicago Jazz, Urban Blues, and Society Dance Bands. Because of the ever-growing popularity of nightclubs during Prohibition, these styles of jazz thrived so musicians were guaranteed jobs. The popularity of the phonograph also provided a huge boost to the music industry during the 1920's. Boogie-Woogie was a style of improvised piano music played during the '20's in Chicago. It got its start in the mining areas of the Midwest. The rolling, repetitious style was the beginning of the Midwestern shuffle style. The second type of jazz popular during this time was Chicago Jazz. It was played mostly by white musicians. Chicago Jazz tended to be very aggressive and usually ended abruptly. Since Chicago had more nightclubs than New York, it held a bigger attraction for musicians.
The Harlem Renaissance was a shift in the jazz industry from Chicago to New York. Pete Johnson (1904-1967) Also a boogie-woogie piano master, Johnson unfortunately had trouble handling the business side of music. Also, he was known for his great improvisation. Johnson (1891-1955) Johnson was another big piano player to come from the Harlem Piano School. Duke Ellington (1899-1974) The "Duke" is considered by many to be the most important American composer in the history of jazz. Art Tatum (1909-1956) Tatum was among the most successful pianists to come out of the Harlem Piano School. Not only did he succeed as a pianist, composer, and arranger, but he also had a double degree in chemistry and math. He began composing songs as a teenager. Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke (1903-1931) Leon is considered to be the only white trumpet player to have ever come close to capturing Louis Armstrong's amazing popularity. Interestingly, he was almost totally blind and taught himself to read. Willie "The Lion" Smith (1887-1973) Smith, who played piano, was also a product of the Harlem Piano School. It was only after the stock market crash in 1929 that New York replaced Chicago as a jazz capital. This occurred during the mid 1920's. He was the third member of one of the biggest jazz boogie-woogie trios in history. He is mostly known for his time spent with his Creole Jazz Band.
Common topics in this essay:
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Acceptance Essays
