Chicago and New York Jazz
Chicago and New York JazzThe 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. It was only after the stock market crash in 1929 that New
York replaced Chicago as a jazz capital. This style of jazz was
tighter and more rehearsed than others.
The next kind of jazz to emerge during the 1920's was Urban
Blues. This was played primarily in an area known as the "bucket of
blood." This referred to an area along the South Side of Chicago.
The clubs there were known to hire the "who's who" of blues musicians.
The last major style of jazz to emerge from Chicago during the '20's
was Society Dance Bands. These bands were usually big with plush
arrangements. They were located downtown and were slower paced and
had no improvisation. They were designed mainly for dancing. They
had a more sophisticated sound that was copied by other bands because
it was so successful.
Following is a list of some of the major mover and shakers to
come out of Chicago during the 1920's.
Joe Oliver (1885-1938)
The "King" played the cornet and was one of the most important
pure jazz musicians. He is mostly known for his time spent with his
Creole Jazz Band. Recognition should be given to the fact that Louis
Armstrong got much of his fame when he played with Oliver's band as a
"hot jazz" specialist.
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
Armstrong is known as the "father" of the jazz trumpet. He was
responsible for making the trumpet popular in jazz....
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