Jazz And The Jazz Age

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There unique genre of jazz was and is a very popular genre of music that people listen to which influenced the music of today by its upbeat tempo, originality, and lasting impact. The decade of the 1920s was known as the jazz Age ("Jazz Age" was first introduced by F. Scott Fitzgerald), Roaring Twenties, and also by other names because jazz music originated mainly in New Orleans, and is a blend of many types of African and European music. Jazz was very popular and jazz had just risen. At that time, jazz was the entertainment and much more.

Jazz is not just music, it was a way for people to express themselves and their emotions. It also had a part in fashion and poetry. “Jazzy clothing” and “jazzy poems” also arose. Jazz was unique because it broke many social and musical rules. Instead of the regular and usual structure, jazz would be improvised by the musician. It provided a way for people to express themselves, gave them character which set them apart, and cultural freedom. New dances were being created lie the Charleston and the One Step. The birth of jazz music is generally credited to African Americans, but expanded and over time it became socially acceptable to middle-class white Americans. White performers were used for the popularization of jazz music in America. Even though the jazz movement was taken over by the middle class white population, it facilitated the blend of African American traditions with the white middle class society. Cities like New York and Chicago were cultural centers for jazz, and especially for African American artists. Some famous black artists of the time were Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie.

Jazz was not always enjoyed and liked by most, at one time people t...

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...us, or insecure about. After all, jazz was created from a mixture of things like folksongs, spirituals, and thing that helped black slaves get through hard days out in the field. On me, it gave me a sudden urge to just get up and start dancing, and I think that that is also a reason why today and in the 1920s people enjoy(ed) listening to it. Not all music gives us that sudden urge to just get up and start moving with the smooth sound of the brass trombone, trumpet, or clarinet.

Jazz is still heard and loved by many. You can even hear jazz in parts of today’s pop music and other genres like hip hop. The quote from The Great Gatsby, “‘You can’t repeat the past.’….’Can’t repeat the past?’ he cried incredulously. ‘Why of course you can!’”(Ch. 6) comes to mind because fads, styles, music, and events make a comeback sooner or later and are evident in the recent years.

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