MUS 15 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Breaking Free, Dizzy Gillespie, Ragtime
Document Summary
New orleans: birthplace of jazz and center of innovation: a melding of blues, ragtime, and other styles, african polyrhythm. Spread from new orleans to northern cities. An urban phenomenon as opposed to blues which was rural. Period of major social change; breaking free of social constraints. Dancing in speakeasies and private parties; blues, ragtime, and jazz. Proliferation of the phonograph and radios: created a demand for the popular songs of the day, recorded and performed by multiple artists. White audiences and dancers preferred hot music by black musicians. Beginning in 1918, harlem in north manhattan becomes an important center for. Many innovative dance clubs and music venues open up: some cater to white-only crowds with all black staff and musicians. Small private venues and late-night sessions encourage smaller groups of musicians to experiment. Louis armstrong played trumpet, comet, and sang: also playing with some of the major dance bands of the time.
