Harlem Renaissance and Jazz Terms Notes

Harlem Renaissance

  • Harlem Renaissance:

    • A period in the 1920s–1930s when Black culture and intellectual life flourished in Harlem, New York.
    • Created a space for Black voices in art, music, and literature.

  • Rent Parties:

    • Social gatherings to raise money for rent, often with live music and an entry fee.

  • Harlem Stride:

    • A piano style evolved from ragtime incorporating elements of jazz.
    • Features a strong left-hand bass line and a syncopated rhythm.

  • Piano (HR):

    • Central to the new types of music emerging in Harlem, especially ragtime and Harlem stride.

  • Harlem Renaissance Ideals/Impacts:

    • Created a community where African Americans were not seen as a minority.
    • Provided a platform for creative expression and intellectual life.

Two Types of Harlem

  • Idealized Harlem:
    • Intellectual, wealthy, flourishing art and culture.
  • Real Harlem:
    • Struggling, impoverished community, often with rent parties and hardship.

Middle-Class Opinions

  • Middle Class Disapproval:
    • The middle class, especially African Americans, disapproved of migrants from the South.
    • They specifically disapproved of their syncopated music.

Figures of the Harlem Renaissance

  • James P. Johnson:

    • A pioneering stride pianist of the Harlem Renaissance.
    • Known for his “macho” culture and fast-paced playing style.

  • Willie "The Lion" Smith:

    • Another stride pianist of the Harlem Renaissance.
    • Known for his brash and competitive playing style.

  • Thomas "Fats" Waller:

    • A prominent entertainer, composer, and comedian during the Harlem Renaissance.
    • Known for his contributions to jazz and piano performance.

  • Slumming:

    • The act of white people visiting Harlem to consume Black entertainment.
    • Created a temporary closeness while maintaining segregation.

  • James Reese Europe:

    • An African American bandleader who incorporated dance rhythms into his music
    • Helped popularize jazz in Europe during WWI.

  • Savoy Ballroom:

    • A famous dance hall in Harlem that became a center for swing dancing.
    • Both Black and white patrons danced there, breaking racial boundaries.

Swing Era and WWII Jazz Terms

  • War Bond:

    • Debt securities issued by the government to finance military operations and other expenditures during wartime.

  • Swing Kids:

    • A group of young jazz fans during WWII who secretly gathered to play jazz records and tune into Allied radio broadcasts.

  • Talent Agent:

    • An individual who finds employment for musicians, actors, and other professionals in entertainment or sports.

  • Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters:

    • The first labor organization led by African Americans to receive a charter in the American Federation of Labor.

  • AFM Recording Ban:

    • A strike by the American Federation of Musicians against major record companies from 1942–1944 due to disputes over royalty payments.

  • Record Sales during the Great Depression:

    • Record sales dropped drastically from 100 million in 1927 to 10 million by 1932.

  • Radio/Technology:

    • The rise of radio broadcast in the 1920s and 1930s helped make musicians celebrities. Allowed jazz to reach a wider audience.

  • Jazz during WWII:

    • Jazz became symbolic of American freedom, reminding soldiers of home.
    • Jazz also helped raise war bonds through radio programs.

  • Hipster Aesthetic:

    • The style and attitude adopted by young people influenced by jazz musicians, characterized by fashion, specific language, relaxed attitude, and self-imposed poverty.

  • 52nd Street:

    • Known as “the street,” 52nd Street in NYC became a major jazz hub during the Swing Era.

  • Benny Goodman:

    • The “King of Swing,” Goodman helped popularize swing music and integrate bands during WWII.

  • Minton's Playhouse:

    • A club in Harlem known for its jam sessions that helped develop bebop.
    • A place where musicians could play and experiment.

  • Duke Ellington:

    • A major figure in jazz, Ellington composed "Jump for Joy", hosted a radio program to promote war bonds, and performed a famous 44-minute work at Carnegie Hall.

  • Glenn Miller:

    • A famous bandleader who formed an all-star air force unit during WWII and produced hits like “Chattanooga Choo Choo.”

Women in Jazz and WWII Terms

  • Swing Shift:

    • Temporary shifts added to factories and industries during wartime, often filled by women taking over men’s jobs.

  • B-Girls:

    • Female musicians in jazz clubs who encouraged customers to buy drinks by engaging with them.

  • Girl Band Travel during WWII:

    • Travel was difficult and hazardous for all-girl bands during WWII.
    • Bands often faced poor food, housing, and were restricted to traveling no more than 300 miles a night (which was often ignored).

  • Jazz Education:

    • Women had more access to band programs in high schools than shop classes.
    • Many women musicians started their professional careers in high school bands.

  • Rosie the Riveter:

    • A symbol of women workers during WWII, embodying the image of an attractive, competent, patriotic, and temporary worker.

  • All-Girl Bands:

    • These bands existed before WWII but became more visible during the war.
    • They faced heavy sexism but still made significant contributions to jazz.

  • International Sweethearts of Rhythm:

    • One of the most famous all-girl bands, featuring prominent musicians like Vi Burnside and Ernestine “Tiny” Davis.

  • Viola Smith:

    • A pioneering female drummer who played professionally for 45 years.
    • Believed that women musicians were not just substitutes for men.

Jazz in Nazi Germany and Bebop Terms

  • Swing Youth (Swingjugend):

    • A group of German teens who secretly listened to jazz and participated in swing dancing despite the Nazi regime's ban on jazz.

  • Jazz in Nazi Germany:

    • Jazz was considered “degenerate” by the Nazis and was banned in Germany.
    • However, many young Germans defied the regime by listening to jazz.

  • Bebop:

    • A style of jazz that emerged in the 1940s as a reaction to the commercialized swing era.
    • It was more complex, virtuosic, and introspective, aimed at musicians rather than dancers.

  • Important Bebop Figures:

    • Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk are key figures in the development of bebop.

  • Jam Sessions:

    • Informal gatherings of musicians to play and experiment with new music.
    • These sessions were essential in the development of bebop.