The 1920's: Jazz In The 1920s

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Jazz In The 1920s

The 1920s was a time of great change in America. People of the 1920s were seeking to do exactly what they shouldn’t; they drank, they were very promiscuous, and they had great amounts of organized crime. Jazz in the 1920s was a necessary element in the creation of “The roaring 20s” paradigm that so many people believe, it helped America define itself, and it came about through a nation completely overridden with many cultures.
Jazz was a whole world in and of itself, it had its own language, it had its own territory, and even had its own culture. There were many people in this realm of jazz, and they each had their own voice and sound. Louis Armstrong was probably one of the most famous of these jazz people. He was a cornetist …show more content…

His music was the epitome of America and its atmosphere; his “Rhapsody in Blue” is undoubtedly the most famous piece from the 1920s. He worked closely with Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra to produce songs like “Rhapsody in Blue”, “Summertime”, and “An American in Paris”. George Gershwin was able to synthesize the styles of classical with the themes of jazz to create a truly vibrant and unique form of jazz. He also helped promote the art of Broadway with “An American in Paris” and “Porgy and Bess” which was the first jazz opera. (American) (Society)
Jazz is considered a genre all on its own and it is, but one is brought to wonder: Are there different types of Jazz? Technically Jazz can be split into many subgroups some of which are: Blues, Dance Jazz, Ragtime, Rhumba, and Broadway. Each of these harbor a particular feel and style to them mostly because they are all applicable to special settings.
Blues is can be described as sad and depressed music that isn’t overly fast. Blues is a type of music meant to take away your sorrows and pains; It is the music of loss and longing. People most of the time can not tell the difference between Blues and Jazz, but the best way to put it is in the words of W.C. Handy “...jazz is jazz and blues is blues!” (SEP, McBride) Examples of blues are “West End Blues”, and “C Jam Blues”.

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