Blog #5: A Harmonic Dialogue Between Tensions

One cannot deny the racial tensions surrounding the birth and rise of jazz from its tribal origins during the slave trade, into the shackles of the work song, through an era of swing and performative entertainment, and finally at the catharsis of the bebop rebellion and modern jazz movement. In spite of the dark and dehumanizing side that the white community posed upon the black community, there was a benign aspect that served to facilitate their musical and artistic redemption through the ages. In his autobiography, Miles Davis used the positive opinions of some white critics to legitimize bebop and his musical endeavors. “What was happening was that white people, white critics, were now beginning to understand that bebop was some important shit,” However, Miles also completely disregarded them when they wrote negative feedback in somewhat contradictory words of his. “A lot of white people, though, didn't like what was going on on 52nd Street. They didn't understand what was happening with the music. They thought that they were being invaded by niggers from Harlem, so there was a lot of racial tension around bebop . . . But the rest of them white motherfucking critics hated what we were doing. They didn't understand the music,” (Davis 67). The white community’s role in the development of jazz served the purpose of fulfilling two different polarities: the discriminatory/oppressive aspect and the collaborative/inspiring aspect. The white audience was a big part of the market that Miles had to consider in his collaboration with Gil Evans in the creation of their “cool jazz” records. 

Initially, I had the false assumption that jazz sprung sporadically within the circle of black musicians without any dialogue from the white community, but that of course has changed after taking The History of Jazz course. There were white jazz bands and white musicians who played in black jazz bands such as Bill Evans in Miles's first quintet who not only contributed as a jazz pianist, but who also helped shed light on understanding what jazz really is. Musicians such as Duke Ellington performed for the white audience by smoothing out and refining the music and eliminating the chaotic elements of new orleans jazz. These are just a few examples of how the white community has been a crucial element in the development of jazz that was a source of incentive and also a shadowy inspiration that was in dialogue with the soulful black musicians. 

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Commented on Pritika’s Blog

I really like how you highlight the aspects of community and space as the central growth to the creative endeavors of Miles and his collaboration with other artists. There is a nice progression and flow in your writing that you nicely end with the personal recounting in your conclusion regarding jazz as an art form that provokes criticality. Great job!

Blog #4: Art and Community

Thelonious Monk's San Juan Hill community helped to shape his genius because it provided the inspiration of being an interesting anomaly interspersed with diversity and conflict on its own. San Juan Hill was a very unpredictable community and every block was different. It was renown for its racial tensions, riots, and violence (Kelley 101-2). This is what some mean by "Jazz is New York, man!" because the music is contained within the city and the city is contained in the music. Monk's music in particular had a lot of dissonance, which can be thought of as the conglomeration of all the dissimilar elements of San Juan Hill as well as its musical styles. In this way, his music was able to transcend the dialectical black and white categories of racism and classism and provide a musical sanctuary that was nurturing to everyone. The relationship of jazz to the community in Leimert Park is similar in that the violence and racial tensions paved the way for African-American expression to emerge in the form of art. It was different, however, in the sense that the art that emerged created the community of Leimert Park by bringing people together in the performance and appreciation of jazz, such as the innovative musical component of Dick's coffee shop on 5the street, The World Theatre's dance and musical performances, and the African-American art museum. After the establishment of these businesses that promote diversity of art, music, and dance, a bustling community formed in Leimert Park that was barren before (Stewart 3/26/15). Thus, the relationship between art and the communities in which jazz musicians grow up/perform in, directly influence and shape each other, whether it be the slave labor on the rhythm and tensions in the work song or the race riots on the chaos and disharmony of bebop. The only element that seems to be dependent on the musician is what is chosen to be expressed. 

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Commented on Anna's blog

I like how you summarized and pinpointed the connection of art and community in both the Leimert park film and the music of Thelonious Monk with your last paragraph. Especially the last bit, in which you show that the causal forces later add to each other in their development as a "continuum". Great job!