Chicago Jazz

The next major hubs of jazz in America showed up around the 1920s. The 20s saw an explosion of African American immigrants in the north, which became known as the Great Migration. Blacks escaped the tough Jim Crow laws in the south for the Northern part of the country; particularly New York and Chicago. Both developed distinct styles of jazz, but Chicago's jazz scene was, in my opinion, far more important to the history of Jazz.

Chicago
The 1920s became known as the Jazz Age because the genre started to explode in popularity during the decade. This was aided by the emergence of jazz in the Windy City.  Jazz spread like wildflower within Chicago, in part due to the segregation in the city. The south side of Chicago consisted of mostly black individual, whereas the north side was mostly a white area. Because the black community was heavily concentrated in one area, a distinct culture began to emerge. An idea of a "black economy" gained ground because the residents felt that the money they spend on groceries and other purchases would circulate within the community and would be the "glue to hold what was a new and fragile world together" (Cohen 148). This "black economy" was vital to the development of jazz, as the community would often visit local nightclubs and bars to hear the latest sounds in the genre.

Although the idea eventually failed, it led to an increase of black nationalism in the area, further increasing the popularity of jazz. Blacks did not reject mainstream culture, but rather embraced it, and put their own creative spin on it. This setting led to a sort of dialogue between the jazz artists of Chicago and the inhabitants, similar to Bakhtins dialogic theory. New immigrants to the city enjoyed hearing a bit of southern New Orleans style, and the artists took that sound and innovated upon it. In return, jazz also shaped the culture of Chicago. Nightclubs and bars emphasized entertainment, and throughout "the roaring twenties" people lived to party. While a jazz culture certainly existed in Harlem, with stride piano and rent parties, the artists just weren't as innovative and lively as in Chicago.

This dialogue shaped jazz in the city into what became known as "Chicago Style". Compared to New Orleans, Gioia notes that in Chicago "a certain restless energy begins to reverberate in the music"(75). In addition, horns move out of the background and begin to take center stage. Vocals also became more prominent. There was more of a focus on the individual rather than the ensemble. You can see these new alterations in much of Louis Armstrong's work. A brilliant trumpeter and one of the most talented jazz musicians in history, Armstrong epitomizes Chicago Style. Armstrong's career took off with King Oliver and his band. Other big players in the Chicago scene included Bix Beiderbicke, a talented white cornet player, and Fats Waller. Without Chicago and Louis Armstrong's career, it is unlikely that the music would have taken off like it did. Harlem was crucial to the development of Jazz, but the sound may never have taken off without the jazz explosion in Chicago. Chicago laid the groundwork for what would be the newest spin on the genre in the coming years.