Blog Post #2: The Roaring 20's and Jazz in Chicago

"One of the supreme ironies of the history of New Orleans jazz is that so much of it took place in Chicago." (Gioia, 43) Within the early years of the 1900's the Great Migration occurred which nearly "a half-million African Americans left the South for more tolerant communities in the North." (Gioia, 43) Musicians were not the only ones to partake in this migration as there were a great amount of opportunities that the North offered over the South in the forms of work, social life, and "personal freedom." (Gioia, 43) However, Chicago was not the only destination for many jazz musicians as other major cities such as New York was also a viable option with its own unique opportunities. When comparing the two though, a shift is seen towards Chicago during this time, making it the more prominent hot spot for jazz in the 1920's.

With the migration from the South came an influx of the jazz culture into the Windy City. Chicago was an environment that allowed great diversity to flourish. The economic opportunities for jazz musicians were prevalent in Chicago during the 1920's. This inspired "musicians of all styles, all races, all instruments to come to Chicago not because of allegiance to a certain idiom of jazz, but rather to tap the opportunities to perform and earn." (Gioia, 72) I believe this economic draw is what greatly contributed to the Chicago jazz that formed. The opportunities provided allowed for many styles to converge into one region and soon a mixture of the styles was inevitable which created a unique sound for jazz. With such an influx into Chicago, "the conventions of New Orleans jazz began to change in this new setting." (Gioia, 73)

When listening close to the jazz performed in Chicago, one can notice the "subtle gradations of difference [as] a certain restless energy begins to reverberate in the music." (Gioia, 71) The Chicago style of jazz began to seem more aggressive and more abrupt. Also, it was noticeable that "various nonjazz musical traditions" were influencing the jazz in the region. "Popular songs and thirty-two-bar forms were increasingly used by Chicago jazz musicians" (Gioia, 73) not normally seen in traditional New Orleans jazz. Subtle changes such as this led to the evolution of jazz and eventually created the new sound in Chicago.

When analyzing the jazz spread into Chicago it is important to recognize some of the most influential musicians such as Joe Oliver, Pete Johnson, Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman and many others. However, the most influential was Louis Armstrong. Louis Armstrong was great at adapting to many situations which is a staple in jazz as improvisation is a key element. Additionally, Louis Armstrong was one of the first to become recognized for his ability as a soloist. Armstrong is seen "as the dominant jazz instrumentalist of his generation, perhaps of all time" (Gioia, 57) which was solidified with his sessions of Hot Fives and Hot Sevens.

Commented On: Jacob Weverka