Jazz

The connection between jazz music and race has been discussed ever since it first appeared around 100 years ago. Over the last forty

years or so, many jazz artists have expressed their beliefs that jazz is strictly an African American style of music. One of their main arguments for the “blackness” of jazz is that the most influential and significant foundations of jazz were rooted in African American culture. Some of these foundations include blues, ragtime, and religious music. The blues evolved in the southern United States in the communities of African American laborers. The blues appeared sometime between 1870 and 1970 corresponding with the emancipation of the slaves, thus the belief that the development of the blues was associated with the newly acquired freedom of the slaves. In the 1920s, the blues became a major element of African American popular music, but at the same was being listened to by white audiences for the first time. Those responsible for spread of blues to other cultures include W.C. Handy, the so called father of blues, and the early female blues artists such

as “Ma” Rainey and Bessie Smith. Ragtime is another foundation of jazz which is rooted in African American culture. Ragtime originated in African American musical communities, in the late 19th century, and descended from the marches played by all black bands common in all northern cities with black populations. There are three composers who are acknowledged as the most significant and influential individuals of the ragtime era. Scott Joplin was an African American composer who is the best known ragtime figure. After his death, Joplin's music and ragtime in general waned in popularity as new forms of musical styles, such as jazz. Similarly there was James Scott. Like Joplin, he was a very significant African American ragtime composer. Finally, there was Joseph Lamb. Unlike Joplin and Scott he was a white ragtime composer, yet Lamb's Ragtime pieces were authentic Ragtime, not a cheap imitation. This fact leads into an interesting point. Ragtime pieces were not "African American" pieces anymore, but "American" pieces. The Ragtime style had become an "American," not ethnic, music style, and since ragtime was one of the major foundations of jazz, it is hard to justify the interpretation of jazz as strictly African American style of music.

The issues raised in this debate have caused much controversy. The so called blackness of jazz in question almost politicizes jazz in a sense. It takes the focus away from the music itself and shifts it towards the political issues surrounding jazz, such as racial division. Despite the emancipation of the slaves, the controversy over the blackness of jazz did nothing but remind of the days of slavery and contribute to racial division. Similarly, the idea of white supremacy arose from this controversy. There were many times when white musicians were accused of stealing music which was originated by African American musicians. At the time white publishing companies would buy African American’s music and lyrics and record them using white artists. This created a sense of bitterness amongst some, thus it is believed that African American jazz players have harbored some bitterness towards white musicians, ultimately leading to this controversy over the African American exclusiveness of jazz. Instead of focusing on who made the music we should be focusing on what it means and how it affects us

personally. After all, jazz is an art form, not a political issue, and should be recognized as such.

There is no problem in identifying the strong influences that the African American culture has had on the creation, influence, and spread of jazz. Obviously African American culture has had the most significant impact on jazz, but the problem lies in the fact