Post 5: Jazz Through the Ages—It All Comes Together

Pick one thing/issue in the Miles Davis Autobiography and use it to answer a broader question:

What were your assumptions about jazz and its history coming into the 
course? How have those assumptions been changed, revised or reinforced by what you have learned in this course?

The story of segregation has been told time and time again in the history of jazz. The precursors to jazz, such as blues and gospel music, were styles that formed as a resilience against the shutting down of indigenous African culture by White slave owners. Music such as work songs were formed and were acceptable as they were thought to increase the productivity of slaves—indeed, they were a way for slaves to maintain the culture of their African descent. These forms of music later evolved into jazz and its many branching styles, such as swing and bebop. One could say that segregation birthed jazz, as it came about as a rebellion by African Americans against having their culture snatched from them.

The autobiography of Miles Davis, published in 1990, addresses the issue of racism still present in American society—more than 350 years after the beginning of slavery in the country. Davis demonstrates a negative opinion of many of the white people  he encounters in his recollections. Despite what one may believe about earning a spot in a school as prestigious as Juilliard, Davis’s experience at the music school was not quite so amazing. He describes a music history class during which the professor—a white woman—said that “the reason black people played the blues was because they were poor and had to pick cotton.” Davis made an objection to the statement, stating that his “father was rich” and “never [picked] no cotton” (Davis, 59).  The ignorance demonstrated by the teacher  shows that, despite the popularity of jazz as a form of music during this era, the contribution of black people to the making of the style was still undermined by white people, even in a progressive city such as New York. At another point in the autobiography, Miles speaks about the owner of Three Deuces, a club on “The Street”. He speaks to him and the man calls Charlie Parker—an idol of Davis—”a fucked-up motherfucker” and proceeds to call Miles “‘son’, a name [Davis] never liked, especially from some white motherfucker who [he] didn't know” (Davis, 56). Within the first two chapters and merely two interactions with white folk, the reader can see Davis’s clear disdain to members of the white community. The segregation at the time can be blatantly seen through these interactions and how the white people (both the owner of the club and the music history professor) speak of black people. Miles Davis’s autobiography shows how even as late as 300 years after the start of slavery, racism was still a prominent factor in dividing the music community.

When I entered this class, I had a glorified view of jazz: I saw it to be a sophisticated music form that developed in areas of prestige. However, one of the major themes I learned in this class is that much of jazz formed in backrooms and slums—in places such as Harlem’s rent parties and Chicago’s lower-class black neighborhoods. I was not aware that segregation played such as large role in the history of jazz. I thought that the music form had come about as a shared cultural interest among the population of the United States. In this class, I have learned that jazz came about as a music form based on indigenous African culture and later assimilated into American culture. The segregation that blacks faced in the United States had a significant impact on jazz’s history. This class has given me a more thorough understanding of jazz and the major themes in its founding and development. Thank you for an amazing quarter, Professor Stewart!

Commented on Bryan Kronenberg's blog.

Post 4: Art and Community—The Power of Jazz

Arguably, both Robin Kelley's biography of Thelonious Monk and the film, Leimert Park, are about the relationship of art and community. What is the relationship of  Monk's genius to the San Juan Hill community where he grew up, according to Kelley?  How did it shape Monk's music? Is this what some mean by "Jazz is New York, man!?" Or something else?  Is the relationship of jazz to the community in Leimert Park the same or different from the relationship Kelley outlines? What do you think is the relationship between art and the communities in which jazz musicians grow up and/or perform?

The conversation between art and community is a critical aspect in the formation of jazz. The African tradition of blurring the line between performer and audience is prominent in jazz as well. The history of jazz in African American urban environments shows that the form comes about amidst a plethora of violence and crime. Rather than areas receding and resigning themselves to such negativity, they reinvent themselves through art and jazz and come together as a stronger and more resilient community; the neighborhoods of San Juan Hill, where Thelonious Monk grew up, and Leimert Park, in Los Angeles, are great examples of this characteristic.

When Barbara Monk moved her family from North Carolina to New York, namely the neighborhood of San Juan Hill, young Thelonious was thrown into a world of jazz creation and a strongly musical community. In fact, “before the Harlem Renaissance pushed the black musical center of gravity up above 125th Street...San Juan Hill boasted the largest concentration of black musicians in the city” (Kelley, 31). Indeed, many creative minds that brought new perspectives to jazz did come from New York musicians—whether from San Juan Hill or Harlem—such as Duke Ellington, James P. Johnson and Thelonious Monk. Thelonious’s early influence lay in Caribbean music—”through the radio and the sounds of the Victrola pouring out of of his neighbors’ apartments…[he] absorbed Caribbean music” (Kelley, 26). A “local jazz musician...named Alberta Simmons” had “the greatest impact on Thelonious’s early development” (Kelley, 24). She was a piano teacher that made a living playing ragtime and stride piano and she taught Monk many of the techniques he later went on to use with his left hand as a stride pianist. Thelonious became a skilled pianist with creative talent that one may call “genius”. Whether he had an innate talent or no talent at all, it is clear that the community he was a part of played a huge role in shaping his interest in music and, furthermore, his career as a jazz musician. Monk, along with many other prominent jazz artists in the Big Apple at the time, prove the statement: “What is Jazz? New York, man!”.

The community of Leimert Park was another that was faced with criminal activity, and still came together as a community at the end of the day. The Watts Los Angeles Riots in 1965 affected the neighboring area of Leimert Park and imposed a tragedy on the neighborhood. Nonetheless, the community came together through a shared desire of facilitating artists and developing their own unique culture. Indeed, 5th Street Dick’s, a coffee shop in Leimert Park, is a great example of this. When the owner, Richard Fulton, decided to set up tables on the sidewalk outside his shop, the neighborhood came together, leaving behind their alcohol and cigarettes, to partake in activities such as chess and appreciation of the jazz playing in the shop. Leimert Park took the tragedy they faced as motivation to turn the area into one with a resilient culture and a strong sense of community.

The communication between art and community—an overlying theme throughout the history of jazz—is seen in both the communities of San Juan Hill and Leimert Park. Both of these communities, despite facing economic hardship and prominent criminal activity, found a way to come together through jazz. Thelonious Monk and many other jazz musicians in New York, along with Leimert Park community members such as Richard Fulton, demonstrate the power of jazz and art in bringing together a community despite negativity.

Commented on Morgan Brubaker’s blog.