Reflecting on BLST14

          Prior to enrolling in this course, my jazz knowledge was extremely limited. I knew a few basic facts about the genre, but the historical background of it was something I largely had no idea about. For example, I had some idea that jazz rose to fame from New Orleans and then spread out from there, but I did not realize how large a role race played in the genre's formation from its beginnings at Storyville to its later developments in Chicago and New York. Although I learned many things, to me, the most surprising aspect of the course was the extent to which the innovation of black musicians was marginalized as white musicians and more generally, white society appropriated an inherently black art form.

          In reality, white appropriation of black innovation has been widespread and unrelenting throughout jazz's history. Perhaps better than anyone else, prominent black jazz figures like Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis truly understand the pervasive nature of this pattern. In his autobiography, Davis expresses his frustration when he says, “I hate how white people always try to take credit for something after they discover it—like it wasn't happening before they found out about it” (Miles 44). Speaking in relation to New York's largely segregated nightclubs and music venues, he goes on to say, “the musicians and the people who really loved and respected bebop and the truth know that the real thing happened up in Harlem, at Minton's” (Miles 45). Undoubtedly, these words make clear the gaping disparity between a black art form and white representations of that art form.

          Although Davis's words are effective in shedding light on the frustration experienced by black musicians, the extent of appropriation can be traced back much further to the genre's beginnings in New Orleans. Take for instance, the Original Dixieland Jazz band; although made up solely of white musicians, this group “was the first to make commercial recordings” of jazz music, a genre that even at this early stage, was “distinctly African American” (Gioia 37). Similarly, black jazz innovation in Chicago was exploited in a rather explicit sense via the Plantation System in place at many of the city's nightclubs (Travis). In later years, as it was forced to adapt to the preferences of white audiences, jazz music was, in a sense watered-down with the development of the “deeply populist” sub-genre known as swing (Gioia 133). Although these are only a few of many examples, addressing them side by side leads one to understand that appropriation has existed throughout time and across geographical boundaries.

          At any rate, I have learned much more about jazz over the last few months than I ever thought I would know. I believe I have gained a strong understanding of jazz's musical and historical developments throughout the twentieth century, one that has fostered within me a growing appreciation for the genre and more generally, for artistic contributions made by African Americans. In my opinion, this has been the most crucial aspect of the class. Moving forward, I plan to continue researching the contributions to mainstream society made by black cultural innovators, a field that I believe mainstream society often glazes over.