1920s Chi-Town Jazz

Professor Stewart’s revision to Samuel Johnson’s words on “genius” was to say that, “genius emerges when it finds it proper context, its proper environment, its proper audience.”  Chicago had all the right aspects, the proper context, environment, and audience, needed in order to reveal jazz genius.  This deeply segregated, robust city of industrialism, filled an “undifferentiated blackness”, is what caused the “Age of the Soloist” the “bearer of the most profound individuality, because it is an individuality tied to achieved in response to a community whose dynamism” made way for the soloist to emerge and redefine jazz (Stewart).

Chicago’s position as an extremely multi-ethnic and multi-racial city, as well as one of great modernism meant that immigrants made up a large portion of the city’s population.  This tension between whites and blacks led to riots and unrest, which in turn, taught that black population that they needed to be self-reliant.  In the wake of the riot, a commercial racial nationalism emerged, leading to black entrepreneurialism that laid economic ground for a market for consumer culture, as well as a thirst for American culture.  “This created an opportunity for jazz musicians, dancers, singers, and other performers to flourish in Chicago, using jazz as entertainment music”. So arose a distinctive black culture in Chicago that was defined by not only a lack of nostalgia, but also an ability “to take commercial culture and produce a unique musical form that was compelling” to blacks and whites alike (Stewart).

In lecture we listened to the Chicago style, and defined it as being characterized as a brash, sparkling, and upbeat trumpet, and a bluesy swinging rhythm section style of jazz. These factors combined made for a spectacular sound, which, in turn, lent itself very well to dancing.  This dance-ability allowed the shift from the hot, brothel-like jazz to the dance pavilions that became popular within the middle and working class.

According to Scaruffi, “Chicago jazz’s collective sound prevailed over individual sound.”  The influence of the free, big city spirit influenced much more improvisation by individual players.  Some main stayers in Chicago jazz included Joe Oliver’s band, Louis Armstrong, and Bix Beiderbecke.  As we talked about in lecture, the Chicago jazz scene was distinguished from others by the new sound emerging with Louis Armstrong: the soloist who swings the entire band.

Louis Armstrong’s unique and differentiating technique on the trumpet created a longer, slower, “blues-ier” sound.  His sound was defined by more sustained, powerful, long notes, and lyricism; very opposing to those of Joe Oliver’s band.  This rhythm was instrumental in the creation of the feeling of the slow drag of late night jazz dance hall that was so pervasive in Chicago at that time.  Just as it was said in lecture, these dance halls served as an open sanctuary for working class blacks to be entertained, and to perpetuate and recreate their culture; and Louis Armstrong’s sound made that possible. The great innovation of the 1920s, the emergence and eventual dominance of the soloist, all allowed for the emergence of a completely fresh take on jazz, found exclusively in Chicago.