Race in the Swing Era

The subject of race in association with jazz had continually been a point of discussion.  The dialogues about race in jazz were controversial and polarizing, but they had not come to a forefront socially and culturally until the Swing Era came about.  With the move of jazz from New Orleans to Chicago, and then to New York, jazz became much more conventional.  It was no longer solely an installment in the hot, dance club world, but had come out into the vanguard. As a result of this widespread assimilation of a primarily black art form, there grew a sense of rivalry amidst the jazz musicians.  

According to lecture, “White and black musicians were in competition for financial rewards and cultural respect for mastery of the art form.”  The differences over race and culture in the Swing Era were defined by two performances, a competitive zeitgeist and racial theory (Stewart). Situations of competition tended to bring out racial consciousness.  There was more at stake, for example, the contest over who was the king of swing.  This competition highlighted differences and rewarded structure.

            The most shining moment of integration during this time was Benny Goodman’s performance at Carnegie Hall in 1938.   Benny’s small quartet was made up of his drummer Gene Krupa, black pianist Teddy Wilson, and black vibraphonist Lionel Hampton.  Benny Goodman was exalted and confirmed as king of jazz, and at the same time he stood for a moment of inclusiveness.  This garnered a pressure on inclusion even in the midst of a highly segregated society. 

Goodman’s situation was complex because he wanted to succeed himself, but he also profited from advancing a black creative form, so he maneuvered in order to include black performers in the frontlines, essentially breaking the color bar. As Gioia notes, “…Goodman used his preeminence to break through many barriers – of racial prejudice, of class distinctions, of snobbery and close-mindedness…” (138). 

An aspect of the racial tensions rising during the Swing Era was largely attributed to the upsurge of white jazz critics reviewing a black art form.  The jitterbug and the white jazz fan defined swing; as did the white jazz critic. “Another part of Swing integration was that black musicians were now open to criticism and comments by those who represented the white audience, especially the radical white audience that considered themselves the ‘true’ fans of jazz” (Stewart).

As lecture suggested, this racial tension was found in the artist vs. the critic.  Within this, the black artist was toted as a ‘representative’ of the race that was not as fortunate enough to have access to the economies of commercial jazz. However, this generalization and belittlement was particularly cutting because the jazz critics this debasement was issued by were all white.  According to Dr. Stewart, “swing became jazz as politics”, and along with it a popular, largely white, audience could now “critique Black jazz artists from a new subject position in American society and culture, that of the dedicated white enthusiast of black cultural production.”  Resulting from this politicized Swing Era, the discourse of race was brought to light.