The Swing Era and the dissemination of racial discussion

          In its endless cycle of metamorphasis, jazz music underwent major changes in the 1930's. During this period, a new hotter style began to take hold of audiences across the nation. This, “deeply populist” new musical outlet known as swing, coupled with the invention of the radio allowed for an even more widespread appreciation of the jazz genre (Gioia 133). As swing music became more commercialized, it became a breeding ground of sorts for racial debate. This is most likely a result of increased appreciation for black talent within the community in combination with increasing integration in jazz performances. In addition, the underlying principles and ideals of the swing subgenre revolved around liberty, equality, mutual respect, concepts which were bound to stoke racial debate. The combination of the progressive values of swing music, growing ipopularity of integrated ensembles, and increased commercialization forced Americans in the 1930's to address the ever-present issue of race.

          Specifically, swing represented a shift in musical thinking involving relative equality. According to David M. Stowe, this shift represented an instance in which the racial and socioeconomic barriers of American segregation were “most permeable” (Stowe 74). With this backdrop, the development of swing ideology celebrated equality, liberty, and tolerance, all of which had largely gained acceptance as venerated American values (Stowe 74). In this sense, the values of swing music represented a shift in attitudes towards more progressivism. This change allowed for a more widespread appreciation of jazz music with less importance attached to the performer's skin color, albeit racial bias in the realm of jazz was far from cured.

          Accompanying this shift in attitudes, the talent of black musicians gained recognition during the period. The works of Benny Goodman, the proclaimed king of swing, and his constituents represent an example of the role race played in swing music. Goodman had a great deal of respect for the talent of black musicians and as such, played alongside several of them including Fletcher Henderson. He used his “preeminence” within the community to break down “barriers of racial prejudice, class distinctions and closed-mindeness” (Gioia 138). Many people admired and respected Goodman's decision to move towards the hotter style of the Henderson orchestra, employing his relative fame to bring the swinging style center stage, while others regarded the decision as another instance of musical appropriation from black to white (Gioia 142). Either way, the issue of race was present in the discussion.

          Ultimately, the contentious nature of discussions on race was facilitated by the emergence of the first “truly nationwide mass medium,” the radio (Gioia 136).With this development, the concept of fame in its modern sense came to be. As such, the propulsion to stardom for artists like Benny Goodman allowed for the appreciation of swing music on a truly national scale. As the nation took notice and swing music became popular culture, the racial contendencies that accompanied it were similarly exposed. The later musical productions of Duke Ellington brought these issues to the forefront of discussion. Specifically, some believed that Ellington's work catered too much to the tastes of white audiences. Certain critics, namely jazz figure John Hammond, believed Ellington's actions represented racial insensitivity and a willing acceptance of racial indignities (Stewart). At any rate, the surge in popularity for Goodman and Ellington allowed by mass commercialization, made it impossible to ignore issues of race that had been present in the jazz community since its foundations.

          To briefly tie things together, the swing era did not necessarily cause racial conflict, but rather clearly presented issues of race that had always existed. Specifically, the surge in popularity of jazz music made possible by the genre's commercialization in the 1930's, allowed for the dissemination of swing ideology. The rise to fame of artists like Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington stoked racial debate not only within the jazz idiom, but across the nation as it made strides towards more progressive ways of thinking. In short, the combination of these three factors is what prompted the nation to address the longstanding issue of racial inequality under the heading of jazz.