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Overview

African American music-including work songs, spirituals, the blues, and ragtime-are drenched in improvisation and syncopation, those ancient African pillars of music. Improvisation and syncopation therefore remain a constant presence in the creative genius of an oppressed people-an expression "born out of a million American negotiations"(Burns 2001). Jazz music, as we'll discover in this lesson, is next in this chain of connection.

Be ready to:

Outline the significance of Congo Square and Storyville to the African American community of New Orleans.

Trace the lineage of jazz, while connecting to earlier African American music genres.

Describe the unique demographics of New Orleans during the early to late nineteenth century.

List the socio-political events that contributed to the birth of jazz.

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Keywords

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References

The Art of Collective Improvisation to the Art of the Improvising Soloist 2

The evolution of jazz-from the art of collective improvisation to an art in which the improvising soloist reigns supreme-might have been inevitable. But the history of that evolution would not be what it is without Louis Armstrong (1901-1971). It is difficult to overstate the importance of Louis Armstrong to jazz. He was the first great solo improviser. Some would say he is the most excellent solo improviser in the history of jazz. He showed the world the beauty, virtuosity, and depth possible through improvised solo performance. In addition, his rhythmic genius demonstrated the latent potential of swing. Spontaneous, swinging melody flowed from his horn like a freshwater spring.

Louis Armstrong

Armstrong was a member of Fate Marable's New Orleans Band in 1918, here on board the S.S. Sidney

From today's perspective, it's easy to underestimate the contributions of Louis Armstrong. When we hear his great solos, they sound like so much else we have heard in many of the blues-related genres that have enjoyed popularity over the better part of the twentieth century. That's because his melodic inventions are so compelling that they have become the staples-and clichés-of multitudes of musicians who followed him.

Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings in Chicago in the late 1920s are among his most significant works. Let's listen to two recordings from December 1927 with his Hot Five, "Struttin' with Some Barbecue"♫ and "Hotter Than That"♫ . Lillian Hardin Armstrong-the trumpeter's wife-wrote both pieces and played piano on the recordings.

Heebie Jeebies

Say, I've got the Heebies
I mean the Jeebies
Talking about
The dance, the Heebie Jeebies
Do, because they're boys
Because it pleases me to be joy

Wynton Marsalis

Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It's conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfil what they feel the moment requires.