Jazz And Black Intellectualism
Jazz is a form of music created in the early 20th century that originated in the United States in New Orleans, Louisiana. The fusion of many cultures, French, African, Caribbean, Latin American, European, and the list goes on, led the intellectuals within the population to develop a culture of their own in Congo Square. Eventually, this new culture presented jazz music.
Jazz spread like wildfire and expanded to many different styles like traditional/classical/New Orleans jazz, swing dance jazz, bebop, free jazz, cool jazz, jazz fusion, modal jazz, and more. Jazz was a medium that promoted intellectual freedom and curiosity, as creatives now had the opportunity to branch out.
Some of the most notable jazz musicians were Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Buddy Bolden, and King Oliver.
The genre that interests me the most is traditional jazz. The original trailblazing genre that was composed of many black intellectuals uniting to form a new sound. Lois Armstrong, one of the most famous jazz musicians of his time, began producing music out of New Orleans, Louisiana. My favorite songs by him are “La Vie En Rose” and “When The Saints Go Marching In.”
Louis Armstrong, also known as ‘Satchmo’, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 4th, 1901. He spent his musical career as a composer, vocalist, and trumpeter, but is most widely known for his trumpet skills. Armstrong grew up in extreme poverty and eventually was sent to a home for juvenile delinquents where he learned how to play the cornet. From there, he continued to dedicate time to his craft which resulted in him growing to become one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time!
I appreciate the range of traditional jazz. The intellectual freedom that existed in society is reflected in the fluid quality of the music.
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