April is Jazz Appreciation Month. Have you heard of it? If you haven’t, you’re not alone.
First, a relevant disclaimer: article is written by a white woman who comes from a place of privilege, and I’d love for any non-white individual to contribute their opinions on jazz if they so wish. The last thing I want is to accidentally come off as any sort of Damien Chazelle white savior character.
I appreciate jazz in the same way most people do in the current age: when it’s playing softly to create ambiance, jazz is wonderful. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough of an appreciation to uphold the popularity of the genre.
Jazz is an incredibly underappreciated art form in the current age, particularly among young people. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History invented Jazz Appreciation Month, or JAM, in 2001 to celebrate the music that has faded into the background—sometimes literally, as Muzak—since it was born.
This year, the Smithsonian honed in on the significance of women’s impact and contributions in jazz. As with everything, women are often overlooked for their contributions in jazz—even in articles like these which attempt to celebrate jazz, like this one.
The Smithsonian highlights star female jazz musicians such as Nina Simone—recognized as a talented pianist, singer, songwriter, storyteller and civil rights activist—and Shirley Horn, a world-class jazz artist with a reputation as an exceptional and sensitive vocalist.
It is generally agreed upon by scholars that jazz began in early twentieth century New Orleans. New Orleans was formed initially as a French Louisiana colony in 1718, which led to a significant portion—around 30 percent—of the population were enslaved West African individuals.
It wasn’t until the 1890s and 1900s that the music recognized as jazz began to form. Improvisation kicked the jazz movement off, if slowly. Charles "Buddy" Bolden, Scott Joplin, King Oliver and Nick LaRocca are among the musicians recognized for the origins of jazz.
According to the National Park Service, racist oppression increased in New Orleans around 1890 when new segregation laws were introduced as backlash to Reconstruction. This “increased discrimination toward anyone with African blood” and “ultimately united Black and Creole of color musicians,” galvanizing the jazz movement “combing the uptown improvisational style with the more disciplined Creole approach.”
Britannica posits that New Orleans became the birthplace of a “‘composite matrix’ made up of a host of diverse vernacular elements that happened to come together at different times and in different regions.”
“Jazz is considered an integral part of African American culture,” writes scholar Zola Philipp. “Black musicians are the inventors and innovators of jazz, and that has been a major accomplishment.”
Sometimes this is forgotten in modern America. As Ethan Dodd puts it, “Contemporary popular culture caricatures jazz as the music of their grandparents, the intelligentsia and elevators.”
Jazz still has hope, though, even if it has lost popularity. According to this article from CNN, “A new generation of jazz titans is emerging. The Grammy-winning pianist Robert Glasper has successfully blended jazz with R&B and hip-hop. Gregory Porter has a rich baritone that could match any jazz vocalist from any era. And the Grammy-winning jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding recently performed at the White House.”
The real problem, suggests Dodd, is that, “for much of its history, jazz has struggled to gain the recognition and respect of academics and elites.”
The root lies in the racism inherent in American society. But perhaps you—the reader—can start to change this attitude by appreciating the art form.
Ready to learn about jazz through actual jazz music, now? Jazz fans recommend this playlist on Spotify, or you can check out these 15 Black liberation tracks from The New York Times. Also, please comment on this article if you have any jazz musician, album, or song suggestions! Happy JAM!