Duke Ellington

In those days, this new music was just beginning to develop and would later be given the name of jazz. In that time it was considered to be low and vulgar because it was music that grew directly out of the Black culture. In those early years, segregation was at one of its all time worst points in history. I think that is why Duke Ellington was one of the most important individuals to the growth and development of jazz. During Duke's long career, the new music slowly spread out of bars and saloons, to dance and night clubs and then eventually onto the concert stage.

Jazz is a form of art that brought American’s together during turbulent times, for example, the youth effected society with their rebellious acts, the blacks had a voice in the world, and middle-class whites fought traditionalism. The world was being molded by jazz, the music created by African Americans, whom were former slaves. Jazz was such a compelling movement in the 1920’s, it was so compelling that it united an entire

The connection towards Gatsby is that Gatsby had hired a band that played jazz. This came from African Americans as jazz influenced many people throughout the world. The Harlem Renaissance was an era of where African Americans became famous, well known, and respected for their music and literature. Many Africans were forced to work in the sharecropping system. The Klu Klux Klan has greatly impacted the Africans.

Spirituals were quite popular among the slave community and eventually gave birth to the next musical stepping stone to jazz, blues. Blues is often thought of as plantation and country songs taken to the streets of the city. The most defining trait, how it sounds, perfectly resembles the troubling experiences in the wo... ... middle of paper ... ...the form of Black music. One of the most important phases of jazz for the African Americans was its acceptance. Elitist White musical circles considered some form Black artistry acceptable for the first time.

Jazz was the most influential genre of music throughout the Harlem Renaissance. Famous musicians such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Bessie Smith had a massive impact on the aspect of Jazz to this day. As stated in The New York Times, 1922, it seems a... ... middle of paper ... ...ent though; Hughes was writing for the members of the black community and writing for the safety for their lives. Hughes brought much attention and praise to all of the writers of Harlem when he wrote his famous poem, “Harlem”. This poem is short but very meaningful while accurately describing the struggles of his life before and his newly found life in the city of Harlem.

“While whites in the jazz music industry got rich, black musicians did not reap equal benefits. The industry caused a great deal of exploitation and discrimination by whites against blacks”(Phillips). Ellington was so successful as a African American musician because he catered to the white style of Jazz music. Ellington combined “smooth dance music with impulsive improvisation, creating a polished, yet popular sound”(American Jazz Culture in the 1920s) that would appeal to the large white

With works such as “Birth of the Cool” and “Kind of Blue” being regarded as important intellectual advancements in jazz by many music critics. This paper will explore Miles Davis as a highly significant figure in the transition and growth of jazz in its cultural capital through his works and important artistic collaborations. This paper will explore the effect Miles Davis had on racism in the developing jazz criticism. Jazz had it's beginnings in the 1920's with New Orleans being a major centre in it's establishment as a significant addition to North American culture. As a result of a diaspora from French, Spanish, and African ethnicities during the late 19th and early 20th century, New Orleans became a cultural hub with an established black community.

In conclusion, the evidence is overwhelming that jazz has left a large impact on American culture. The birth of jazz started with African Americans and has lasted throughout the years because of African Americans. Events such as the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance allowed for artists such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to spread the popularity of jazz. Jazz was able to change how Americans viewed African Americans and their culture and essentially invited Americans into their culture and shape America to where it is today. This change was happened because jazz brought a change to the music scene, acceptance of African Americans, and a change of lifestyles to the everyday people.

The rebellious, wild spirit of those who gathered at these social drinking events inspired them to dance. And a new kind of dancing was called for, something loud, exhilarating, and fun. Thus, jazz, with all its loud trumpets and saxophones blaring alongside its silky smooth voices, was born. It wasn’t just a style of music, it was a lifestyle. Because of jazz, America saw African-American musicians rise to fame for the first time.

By this time he had secured a significant amount of stride playing technique which added more flavor to his music. It was during this time and the remaining of his career that he industrialized a concept known to be Jungle Sound. Since the Jungle sound was somewhat more evolved compared to the earlier jazz sounds, this allowed him to add more content in his music that contained a sense of gritty sounds from the brass section. Which help duke relate his music to that of living in the United States as an African American during ongoing segregation. Duke Ellington elated countless great strides not only in the musical expansion of the well-known to be the Harlem Renaissance, but most importantly also in racial and sociological growth as well as that time.