The Jazz Culture in Chicago

Music Research Work
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Music Research Work
My music ethnography will focus on the jazz culture in Chicago, and how this type of music is associated with communities. Jazz music was born in the United States, and ever since its introduction, the music genre has been viewed as a reflection of the individualism and cultural diversity in the country. Jazz allows for improvisations, which enables musicians to be more open and influential to their listeners. As a result, jazz has straddled the worlds of art and popular music and expanded to a point whereby its different styles seem unrelated because of its variability. Although jazz was initially performed in local bars, it has grown to the point whereby the music is now played in large festivals, concert halls, and clubs. As the years have passed, people have become more familiar with jazz, and they have also learned to appreciate the genre. However, jazz has been linked to communities, with raising concerns on who should sing jazz and whose voice should be heard. The nature of jazz has raised fundamental questions about inclusion and exclusion, the formulation of particular interests as opposed to general interests, and the privilege of some social relationships compared to others (Day, 2006). Jazz is considered to be the product or unifying practice of a recognizable community. The practice of jazz encourages individuals and scholars to study the ideas of such communities. Nonetheless, the communities most associated with jazz are the African Americans, and thus, a majority of famous and successful jazz musicians are blacks. The association of jazz music with certain communities has therefore shaped the identity and meaning of the art form.
The History of Jazz Music
Jazz music came to be as a result of the mixed cultures during the twentieth century (Gioia, 2011). During this period, New Orleans was considered the melting pot of cultures, since individuals from all over the world gathered at the port city. Aside from its popularity, New Orleans also encouraged and appreciated different cultures, even during the nineteenth century. In 1817, the City Council of New Orleans established an official site for slave dancers (Gioia, 2011). The city’s tolerance of different cultures gave way for cultural interactions. The diverse audience gave musicians a chance to be exposed to a variety of music and culture, such as the South American songs, and European classical music. The rhymes from the different music varieties merged to form jazz music. However, several controversies have surfaced regarding jazz music. Having been mostly associated with the African American culture, Jazz has been considered to be an example of how the western culture has been influenced by the African culture (Gioia, 2011).
Nevertheless, jazz remains powerful because of its ability to blend with the different music of various cultures, including Asian, European and Latin. A majority of the hybrid genres can also be closely linked to the history of jazz music. For example, minstrel songs were composed for mocking the culture, dance, and music of the slave population. The black entertainers who emerged in later generations were then evoked by the m...