EVOLUTION OF MUSIC
RAGTIME
Ragtime emerged in the 1890s and lasted until World War I began. Its name was derived from the term “ragged time” which was meant to describe the syncopation, emphasizing normally unaccented beats in a song, used in this style of music, usually for the piano. “Ragging” happened when the melody was syncopated over a rhythmically direct bass line and was a popular style. Ragtime music, when played, was read off of sheet music, yet its tunes shaped early jazz.
THE BLUES
The blues followed after, in the early 1920s. Mamie Smith recorded the first blues album, “Crazy Blues” in 1920 and it was a platinum hit. Blues music style ranged from slow and sorrowful to upbeat and risqué. Harlem in the early 1920s was a center for blues singers who recorded on “race record” labels, which were by blacks, for blacks.
STRIDE PIANO
Emerging in 1925, Stride piano helped make the transition into jazz, as it brought back the syncopation style of ragtime. When playing the style of stride piano, a musician kept a steady rhythm in his left hand and syncopated with his right.
HOT JAZZ!
Jazz was came to Harlem later on, in 1930, toward the end of the renaissance. “Jazz was a fusion of elements of marches, ragtime, pop songs, and the blues played in a syncopated, rhythmic fashion (The Harlem Renaissance Multimedia Resource.)” Unlike ragtime music, jazz musicians only used sheet music as a basic guide for performing a song, otherwise they would improvise most of the song. Jazz was felt —the musician was in charge of the flavor of the song and played whatever he felt should come next. This spontaneity and breakage from how music was normally played brought about a sensation of excitement in audiences. It enticed the pleasure-seekers of any race that roamed the Harlem night and momentarily brought them together in the essence of the music.
After the migration, blacks in the north became urbanized, more sophisticated as they became exposed to more culture and educated on music and art. This led to an expansion of the jazz audience and jazz itself.
After the migration, blacks in the north became urbanized, more sophisticated as they became exposed to more culture and educated on music and art. This led to an expansion of the jazz audience and jazz itself.
SWING AND BEBOP
Following Jazz Age came the Swing Era in the 1930s, when large groups danced to lively jazz singers and bands. However, performers were tired of their audiences not paying attention to their performances and, instead, dancing their hearts out on the dance floor. This led to Bebop in the late 1930s, when countless great vocalists emerged. This shifted the emphasis of shows from dancing to listening, and so another part of the Renaissance ended.