Jazz Age – Which Best Characterizes the Jazz Age?

Jazz was a symbol of the spirit and energy of the roaring 20s, but it was also controversial. It was one the most prominent forms of new music in America’s early 20th-century, and was associated with racist assumptions about blackness and race. Some conservative critics claimed that jazz promoted the sinful and immoral practices of slaves and other blacks. Others suggested that jazz encouraged violence, sex, and a culture of sex.

While the Jazz Age lasted for a mere three decades, it was an era of extreme social and cultural change. Modern urban life challenged social values. The era also witnessed both extremes of wealth and poverty. People grew increasingly centered on materialistic pursuits and questioned traditional morality.

The jazz age was also marked by the emergence of African American musical talents. Many African-American musicians combined vaudeville elements to create a cohesive musical form. James Reese Europe, an African-American musician, helped popularize jazz throughout France during WWI. He also founded the Clef Club, a society for black musicians that performed “new” jazz at Carnegie Hall. Another important part of the jazz scene was the formation of black-owned dance companies. The Charleston, a fast-paced dance, was popular during this period, as well as the Lindy Hop, named for Charles Lindbergh, or Black Bottom, which is a sensual dance.

Jazz age literature was also highly popular. Many poems and novels captured the spirit of that time period. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, became a classic, and its portrayal of excess became synonymous with the jazz age. Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, a popular novel from the era, captured the disillusionment experienced by the post-World War I generation.

The jazz era was characterized by the emergence of talented musicians like Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Louis Armstrong. Duke Ellington was a leader of a jazz band that was hugely popular and he wrote many of the most iconic jazz songs. The music of these musicians was complex and sophisticated.

The Jazz Age also marked a period of social change for women. During this period, “necking parties” became commonplace on college campuses. Psychologists like Sigmund Freud or Havelock Ellis in the UK stressed that sex was a natural part and normal part of human life. Another key change in sexual behavior was the emergence of contraception. Women began to wear shorter skirts, shorter hair, and engage in the same behaviors as men.

George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, which combines jazz rhythms with classical music, is a musical composition famous for integrating jazz with classical music. It was first performed at the Aeolian Concert Hall in New York on February 12, 1924 as part of Paul Whiteman’s “An Experiment in Modern Music” concert series.