Blog Post #1

          The location of New Orleans as the birthplace of jazz does not owe itself to one sole factor, but rather to a variety of contributing elements acting in unison. Undoubtedly, a genre that draws influence from African musical traditions would necessarily manifest itself in a location that houses a large population of African Americans. Given this characteristic, New Orleans begins to seem like a suitable birthplace; however, one may also assume that the perfect environment in which to cultivate the arts would be a wealthy one. On the contrary, by the time that jazz began to gain prevalence, the living conditions in New Orleans had become downright incompatible with safety and prosperity. Although it may seem contrary to logic, I believe this was indeed the characteristic of New Orleans that made it a great location for the dissemination of a new, upbeat musical movement. In support of this notion, one can imagine a scenario in which fear and despair grip a person's soul. For instance, as Africans were forcibly removed from their homelands and brought to America as slaves, they clung to the aspects of life that gave them comfort; “Music and folk tales were among the most resilient of these [things]” (Gioia 7). Now turning back to New Orleans, it makes sense that these free African Americans struggling to provide for themselves and their families in the face of dastardly living conditions would turn to the elements of African American culture which granted them comfort. For many people of New Orleans, this was the most affective method of coping with hardship. As an extension, New Orleans was renowned for its fascination with celebration and parties of all kinds. Furthermore, the vibrant red light district known as Storyville or more simply, the District was an ideal location for the formation and growth of jazz music. Specifically, New Orleans jazz music, or dixieland jazz music centered on one instrument, usually the trumpet playing the melody with other instruments improvising around it. At any rate, music was a huge part of life in New Orleans during this time. Many regard the location as one in which music of all types could be enjoyed; “whether high or low, imported or indigenous,” it was said that each genre could find an audience (Gioia 33). In light of these observations, I believe that the most important factor contributing to New Orleans' reputation as the birthplace of jazz would be the presence of hardship and struggle that necessitated it.

          When it comes to interpreting the extent of Mexican influence on New Orleans jazz, one should trace the genre back to the early 1900's. During this time period, some of the city’s most promising musicians were acquiring classical musical instruction from Mexicano instrumentalists” (Johnson 229). In this sense, it becomes clear that Mexican artists had a transnational level of influence on musical developments in the Southern United States. In addition, Mexican influence extended to include new instruments namely, the saxophone and other woodwinds. Lastly, many Mexican immigrants directly influenced the New Orleans jazz scene by playing, teaching, and learning from local artists. In these ways, Mexican influence on New Orleans jazz was far-reaching.