New Orleans was uniquely poised to be the birthplace of Jazz
because of its “fall from grace” in the middle of the 19th century.
The boom of the New Orleans economy brought about by steamboat trade
precipitated a mixing of cultures that would formulate the precursors to Jazz;
blues, ragtime, etc. With the advent of the railroad, New Orleans’ status as a
trade hub diminished and its economy deflated quickly, with the help of corrupt
politicians. Add to this the cities geographic misplacement below sea level,
and the corresponding floods brought about mortality rate one and a half times
any other American city. (Gioia, 27-29).
Without New
Orleans’ unique geographic position in the Mississippi river delta, the
steamboat trade would not have flourished and New Orleans would not have seen
the amount of trade from countries in the Caribbean or South America. It was
this mixing of cultures that gave rise to the unique music style of jazz. This matchless
style of Jazz was the product of a distinctive set of racial and class laws.
With the Latin Code forming a creole “middle class”, there came about a jazz
style that stressed ensemble interaction with a soloist leader that gave
meaning to the entire band (Stewart). This was also a consequence of New
Orleans being a city; a place of mass culture while also promoting
individualistic expression.
Gioia
discusses and links both New Orleans’ economic crash and its “quasi-mythic
history” as a French penal colony to the rise of debauchery that subsequently lead
to a prolific prostitution business within the city. Alongside these brothels
existed dance halls and clubs, which thrived on the new, hot music of jazz.
Paired with the cities constant thirst for music, during fish fries, lawn
parties, and even funerals (Gioia, 30), its loose moral culture was the perfect
breeding ground for a new music style that would become jazz.
I would say
the Mexican immigrants made a vital contribution to New Orleans jazz. Not only
did they introduce new instruments, such as woodwinds and the saxophone, and
influence the style of the fore fathers of jazz, but they also deeply changed
the face of New Orleans itself. For example, saxophonist Florencio Ramos
started the New Orleans musicians union (Johnson, 229). This kind of culture
mixing made New Orleans a rare cosmopolitan center of America. This selection
of multicultural influences was crucial to the advent of jazz. Without the
influence of Mexico, jazz would not be the same music style it was and is today.
Of
all the causes discussed by Gioia, I maintain that the main reason jazz came to
fruition in New Orleans was its economic boom following the steamboat trade.
Without the steamboat trade, New Orleans would not have become the cultural hub
that it did. This economic boom led to the Exposition of 1884, which brought
the Mexican influence, as well as many others, to New Orleans (Johnson, 225). Even
after its economic fall, the influences of trade rippled through New Orleans
culture, playing a crucial role in the formation of jazz.
Comment: Sam Karlin
First, I'd like to say that I think your ideas are interesting and well articulated. I agree with you that one of the most important reasons that jazz emerged as an art form is because New Orleans was one of the most important centers of commerce in the South. In addition to what you said about the steamboat trade being essential to the emergence of jazz, I think it's worth noting that the city's tolerance of African influence (i.e. allowing dance parties in Congo Square, etc) allowed for the strong sense of rhythm that so defines jazz to develop and emerge into it's own distinct art form.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your point about the Creole population, as a middle class, and its importance in the emergence of jazz. I would add that the declining status of Creoles in post-Civil War New Orleans, culminating with their classification as “Negroes” in 1894, resulted in increased contact between classically trained Creole musicians and Black musicians. This resulted in fusion of African and European musical traditions, which is one of the most important characteristics that led to the emergence of jazz music.
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