About Jazz Music of the 1920s
Primitive jazz music emerged in the 1920s in New Orleans and quickly spread to other cities across the United States. Jazz music in the 1920s gave birth to a number of well-known jazz musicians whose names are still recognizable today. Jazz was not only a style of music that brought people together in dance halls and clubs, it also had an impact on many aspects of American culture.
Origins
In the early 1920s, African American musicians living in New Orleans began playing a new kind of music called jazz, which consisted of a trombone, coronet, clarinet and a rhythm section. The racial prejudices in the town forced them out and the jazz musicians began playing venues in Chicago, New York and Kansas City, Mo. In Chicago, dance halls flourished and jazz musicians played in segregated clubs. In New York, jazz was accepted due to the popularity of ragtime music. Throughout the 1920s, jazz gained notoriety in Kansas City, where the saxophone became a highly recognized jazz instrument.
Musicians
King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band gained popularity and fame in the early 1920s. Louis Armstrong joined the band in 1922, left the band in 1924 and became an icon himself. His wife, Lil Hardin was a jazz pianist. Kid Ory was a legendary jazz trombonist. Bix Beiderbecke created smooth sounds playing his jazz trumpet and the piano playing of Earl “Fatha” Hines was a huge influence on modern pianists. Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington were two of the most famous jazz composers of that era.
Impacts
During the 1920s, jazz became an important influence on American culture. This music inspired the popular flapper fashion, which appealed to both the younger and older generations. Jazz music was a driving strength in the Women's Liberation Movement. Females who visited jazz clubs and speakeasies could let loose and rebel against the traditional roles set up for women. People in high society were fascinated by jazz and they began to show African Americans the respect and dignity that they didn't have before.