Jazz Timeline
1800-1960
Date:
Historical Background:
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When West African tribes were brought to the New World in chains, they carried their music and traditions with them. The powerful
rhythms of African percussion influenced American music. Slave work songs were created in the African tradition of call-and-
1700s
response. To tell a story, a song leader would call out a line and the workers would respond to the call. Many slaveholders did not allow
the slaves to speak to each other, so the only way they could communicate was through song. They developed many different ways of
getting their secret messages across in the lyrics. Slaves also sang soulful songs called "spirituals" to express their religious beliefs,
feelings and desire for freedom. Spirituals and work songs are part of the foundation of the American art form, known as jazz. Also, in
the early 1890s the blues emerged from these traditions. In performing the blues, singers used the power of their voices to express their
feelings.
Scene in the South
America was thought of as "the land of opportunity." In the mid to late 1800s, many Europeans immigrated to America's cities seeking
their fortunes in the New World. French quadrilles, Spanish flamenco, Irish jigs, German waltzes and many more musical traditions
1800s
arrived in our cities and ports. These European groups influenced the way music was being played in the United States. The African
American composer Scott Joplin combined European compositional styles with the rhythmic and melodic music that came from the
black community. This became known as "ragtime." In the 1890's, ragtime was centered in Missouri where many talented musicians lived
to perfect their music. To "rag" a song meant to drag out certain notes and rearrange music to make it livelier.
Newly arrived immigrants from Ellis
Island
At the turn of the century, the people of New Orleans were from many different cultures. The city had been a French territory during
the 1700's with a short period of Spanish rule. French and Spanish settlers shaped New Orleans' culture. In the 1800's settlers from
1900s
England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and Italy migrated to this prosperous city. As new settlers arrived in the New Orleans' seaport,
musical traditions from all over the world began coming together. African American musicians merged European traditions with the
blues, ragtime, marching band music and many other elements to create a new style of music known as "jazz."
Spasm Band, New Orleans
As African Americans migrated to northern cities like Chicago and New York in search of better opportunities, they brought jazz and
the blues with them. At this time, many young Americans were disheartened by the destruction of World War I and began to challenge
the old-fashioned attitudes of their parents. Listening and dancing to high-spirited jazz and blues became part of their rebellion. Young
women, known as "flappers," shocked their parents by cutting their hair and wearing shorter dresses. Because the 1920s were a time of
1920s
rapid economic growth, people had money to spend on entertainment and household goods. For the first time radios and record players
were widely available in stores. Jazz went from being played in New Orleans honky-tonks to America's airwaves, dance halls, and living
rooms.
The Caroll Dickson Band at the Sunset
Café, Chicago 1922
The 1930s marked the worst financial crisis in United States history, the Great Depression. Men and women struggled to find jobs in
order to feed their families. During these tough years, people did not have money to spend on record albums and dance clubs. Radio
continued to be the center of entertainment in America. A new style of jazz, "big band swing," emerged. People loved to dance to swing
and it became the most popular music of the 1930's and 1940's. Jazz was played on the airwaves night after night. For listeners, this
1930s
exciting music made the Great Depression more bearable. It reminded them of what America could be.
In the meantime, Kansas City seemed to escape the hardships of the Great Depression. As cash flew through the city's gambling hot
spots, saloon owners profited from the sale of illegal drugs and alcohol. This wide-open nightlife may be the reason that jazz was able to
thrive in the city. A looser, more spontaneous, infectious brand of swing was played in nightclubs across the city. Unemployed jazz
artists fled there to find jobs. Soon Kansas City's jazz scene grew as exciting as New York's or Chicago's.
During 1939-1945, many jazz musicians were drafted to fight in World War II. Big dance bands had difficulties finding musicians. In the
United States, there were war restrictions on the use of plastics and gasoline. Fewer records were produced to conserve plastic, and
gasoline cutbacks made it difficult for bands to travel. African American jazz bands continued to face racial discrimination by the record
industry, clubs and audiences. White jazz bands had financial success, while talented black entertainers were often overlooked.
1940s
A million African Americans would serve in the armed forces -- nearly half a million overseas -- all on a basis of strict segregation (the
unfair practice of keeping blacks and whites separate). Even blood supplies for saving the lives of the wounded were carefully
separated by race. During the war years, there were bloody confrontations between black and white troops at military bases all across
the country. Off-base, black soldiers were harassed, beaten, barred from buses and even from restaurants where German prisoners of
war were allowed to eat. Many African Americans began a "Double V" campaign - fighting for victory over tyranny abroad and
Armed Foces Band – WWII
discrimination at home.
During the 1950's, Americans began to turn to television as their entertainment. As a result, dance halls -- where jazz bands once
played -- began to close all across the country. The Milton Berle television program helped to introduce America to Elvis Presley and
1950s
his fresh, energetic sound. This newer style of music -- rock 'n roll -- became the hottest sensation for a new generation of teenagers.
With entertainment like television, movies and rock and roll, jazz faced new competition and shrinking audiences. Despite the shift in
jazz's popularity, talented musicians continued to produce complex and powerful music and take jazz in new directions.
52nd Street
The 1960s was a decade of rapid change and unrest in American life. The Vietnam War tore the country apart and racial tension
increased as African Americans began to conduct non-violent protests against segregation. In 1963, Martin Luther King made his
1960s
famous "I Have a Dream" speech to encourage equality for people of all races. His enthusiasm and hope for full equality sparked nonviolent protests throughout the country. These protests were designed to call attention to the unequal treatment of African
Americans and eventually became known as the civil rights movement.
Throughout the 1960s, civil rights activists were murdered and protesters were beaten and killed. The violent resistance to the civil
rights movement fueled a sense of frustration and despair among many Americans.
The civil rights movement also had an impact on jazz. African American jazz artists had long resented the white owned record companies
and clubs that controlled their income and to some degree their art. Some artists wanted to break away from these establishments and
control their own music. At the same time many artists expressed their anger and disappointment at the slow pace of change in their
music.
Poor People’s Campaign March NYC