The Jazz Age Essay Example for Free

The Jazz Age Essay The Jazz Age or the â€Å"Roaring Twenties† is a period just right after World War I between the 1920s to the 1930s which is known for the emergence of Flappers, Charleston, and Jazz. Flappers represent a new breed of women who are â€Å"saucy, outspoken bombshells with short skirts, shorter hair and plenty of ‘It’ (sex appeal)† (Trail End, 1995-2008). Charleston is a lively dance which originated from South Carolina and African American styles (Think Quest, 2000). Jazz is the music that came together with the Flapper and Charleston and it has become the most popular of them all (Trail End, 1995-2008). Jazz takes its roots from New Orleans where African American musicians first started to â€Å"improvise and share their music†. These musicians have widely spread what has been known as the â€Å"New Orleans sound† throughout the county by the year 1920 (UMN). The â€Å"sound† only came to be called â€Å"jaz† in 1917 or â€Å"jazz† in 1918 (Grayck).   However, it was only between 1917 and 1923 that the â€Å"New Orleans jazz† flourished to other parts of the country when â€Å"racism, prejudice, and violence resurfaced† against the African Americans which included the jazz musicians in New Orleans. So, these musicians came to Chicago, New York and Kansas City and from there on, jazz spread throughout the world (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2008). There are so many great and popular jazz musicians but this paper will only mention three of them. These musicians are Joe â€Å"King† Oliver, Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbeck. Joe â€Å"King† Oliver or Joseph Oliver was born near Abend, Louisiana in 1885. (Microsoft Student 2008, 2007). When he was still a child, he played the trombone but later shifted to playing the cornet. He was called by Edward Ory as the â€Å"King† of the cornet while he was still playing in Ory’s band. He later formed the Creole Jazz Band which became the â€Å"most popular band of the early 1920s†. In 1922, he invited Louis Armstrong to join his band (UMN). And he has been considered the greatest influence on Armstrong’s career. He also led the Dixie Conspirators in 1924 and moved to New York City in 1928. Unfortunately, things did not turn out good for him and he died in â€Å"relative obscurity† in 1938 (Microsoft Student 2008, 2007). However, his contributions are considered incomparable in the early 1920s (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2008). Louis Armstrong or Louis Daniel Armstrong was born in 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana to a poor family and whose father abandoned them when he was just newly born. Only his mother raised him up in the urban slums but he was only able to attend up to the fifth grade in school. Despite of this, he came to be known as one of the greatest and most influential jazz musicians of the twentieth century. In 1922, he joined King Oliver’s Creole Jazz band. From then on, his career flourished. In 1924, he moved to New York City where he joined Fletcher Henderson, and American pianist. In 1925, he formed his own recording group named the â€Å"Hot Fives (later known as the Hot Sevens)†. His recordings were considered as â€Å"some of the most seminal and enduring pieces in the history of jazz.† He was the one responsible for setting the â€Å"fundamental standards for improvisation† (Hasse, 2007). Bix Beiderdecke was born in Davenport, Iowa in March 10, 1903. He was one of those who were influenced by King Oliver. He first worked on a professional level with the Wolverines, then he worked with Charlie Straight and occasionally with Louis Armstrong and King Oliver,and with Frank Trumbauer, Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman. He started the â€Å"use of impressionist harmonies in jazz† and he was known for â€Å"his sweet tone and subtle phrasing†. Unfortunately, he only became very popular after he died of alcoholism and pneumonia in August 6, 1931 (Microsoft Student 2008, 2007). The Jazz Age did not only produce the best musicians the world has ever known but it also ushered all other kinds of music such as â€Å"Swing† to new heights. Works Cited â€Å"Bix Beiderdecke.† Microsoft Student 2008 (DVD). Redmond, WA: Micorsoft Corporation, 2007. Grayck, Tim. â€Å"The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB).† Original Dixieland Jazz Band History Page. 27 September 1999. David Hansen Music Productions. 3 June 2008. http://members.aol.com/ODJBjazz/odjbhistory.html#2. Hasse, John Edward. â€Å"Louis Armstrong † Microsoft Student 2008 (DVD). Redmond, WA: Micorsoft Corporation, 2007. â€Å"Jazz Moves Up the River† American Jazz Culture in the 1920s. 2008. University of Minnesota Duluth. 3 June 2008. http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/tbacig/studproj/is3099/jazzcult/20sjazz/index.html   Ã¢â‚¬Å"King Oliver.† Microsoft Student 2008 (DVD). Redmond, WA: Micorsoft Corporation, 2007. â€Å"The Jazz Age.† Trail End State Historic Site. 1995-2008. Trail End Guilds, Inc. 3 June 2008. www.trailend.org/dow-jazzage.htm â€Å"The Jazz Age and Louis Armstrong (The 1920’s).† Think Quest. 2000. 3 June 2008. http://library.thinkquest.org/C005846/categories/artliter/artslit.htm