Jazz historiography - 779 Words

The rapid development of jazz in both the United States and Europe generated a number of diverse musical expressions, including musics that most listeners today would not recognize as â€Å"jazz† music. In order to remedy this situation, jazz musicians and critics after 1930 began to codify what â€Å"real† jazz encompassed, and more importantly, what â€Å"real† jazz did not encompass. This construction of authenticity, often demarcated along racial lines, served to relegate several artists and styles (those outside a â€Å"mainstream† to the margins of historiography. The issue of race is central to all discourses of jazz. Alongside race goes the problem of representation, or, who gets to play what for whom and under what circumstance. Problems of†¦show more content†¦It creates a false binary in which the only races involved in the creation or playing of jazz are black and white, thus implicitly writing European, Roma, Latin American, or other ethnic groups out of the narrative, a mistake this thesis will seek to correct by including guitarists from outside the black/white binary as valid contributors to discourse. Ideas intimately tied to issues of race and social impact is the issue of authenticity. What constitutes real (authentic) jazz and who are jazz‘s authentic players? For that matter, what are authentic jazz instruments? Authenticity is usually defined by race, ethnicity, and/or musical pedigree, though there seems to be a hierarchy at work in those definitions. of authenticity, however, are not real or absolute; they are imaginary constructs made to suit the ideological needs of fans, writers, musicians, and critics. Black musicians are usually considered to be more authentic than white musicians; however, white American musicians are more authentic than their European counterparts. While jazz might be an African-American music, it is still often viewed as being uniquely American. Europeans, in turn, are more authentic than other ethnic sub-groups, like Roma, or other nationalities. These notions of authenticity were some of the most influential factors in the shaping of jazz discourse. Pedigree, whether real or assumed,Show MoreRelatedJazz Has Been A Part Of American Culture Throughout History1372 Words   |  6 PagesJazz has been a part of American culture throughout history that is still being explored today. Jazz has a rich history that goes back many years. Jazz has also developed into many different styles that trace to places all around the world. There have been many jazz musicians throughout the years. Jazz music has a very complex, but good musical tune and instrumentation to it. Jazz had started, when musicians came to New Orleans to play, most of the people that came to play were former slaves ofRead MoreThe Music Of Jazz And Jazz Essay743 Words   |  3 PagesJazz had started, when musicians came to New Orleans to play, most of the people that came to play were former slaves of African descent. The African American people had traced their ancestry back to West Africa, and with this knowledge they began to make a new kind of genre of music called jazz, based on ancient African tribal music, that people in Africa had been played for years. Some things that the tribal music and jazz have in common is a strong drum beat, voices imitating instruments, andRead MoreSummary : On The Problem Of Musical 1936 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"contrasting† by the fact that audiences today take for admit a very high level of technical capability. Webster, James. â€Å"The Century of Handel and Haydn.† In The Century of Bach and Mozart: Perspectives on Historiography, Composition, Theory, and Performance, Part IV. Issues in Historiography, edited by Sean Gallagher, Thomas Forrest Kelly, Wolff Christoph, 297-315. (Harvard publications in music; 22). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Department of Music, 2008.. To me James WebsterRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesmundane level, migration 14 †¢ CHAPTER 1 itself has become inseparable from the daily machinery of migration control and evasion. Indeed, borders have shaped our knowledge of migration as deeply as the process of migration itself. The historiography of migration is built and fragmented around nation-centered themes such as assimilation, push-pull, national identity, debates over national legislation, and diasporas with their attachment to home nations. Enormous and inconclusive social science