Racial Competition in Jazz

The United States from the very beginning has always been a melting pot for diversity in cultures, with race playing a tremendous part in establishing racial dominance in the country, with white being the superior race. During the 1920’s the country had seen a boom in the economy as well as in music, where musicians and more importantly African Americans could find adequate employment. However as the 1920’s provided a boom for the economy the 1930’s was another story for millions of Americans with the onset of the Great Depression; where many found themselves unemployed and without disposable funds as the 1920’s provided.

            During the early years of jazz from its origin in New Orleans, jazz was seen as music geared towards African Americans, and in many cases frowned upon by the middle class African Americans as well as the upper class white population. With the migration from the south to Chicago jazz began to become mainstream but was not fully accepted until it hit the night clubs in New York; a more capitalist environment where black bands would play to an all white audience as segregation was clearly drawn at the time. As the Great Depression set in it had a tremendous impact on the entire entertainment industry, “Record sales in the United States had surpassed one hundred million in 1927, but by 1932 only six million were sold- a staggering decline of over 90 percent!” (Gioia 135). With the decline in small record companies the music industry appeared to be going out of business.  With the onset of the talking movies, many theaters limited or halted the live shows reducing and in most cases eliminating paying jobs for musicians. Jazz and musicians were also affected by the end of prohibition and the introduction of the radio, “The end of Prohibition in 1933 transformed many speakeasies into legitimate nightclubs, but the change was hardly a positive one for jazz players. Not only alcohol but the whole ethos and ambiance of jazz culture were demystified in the process. Both could now be easily consumed at home: alcohol legally purchased at the liquor store, jazz carried into the household over the airways” (Gioia 136). With the legalization of alcohol and the mass broadcasting of jazz music in the home, there was soon little to no need for live musicians and they soon found themselves out of a job. With the introduction of the radio the necessity of the talent agent became necessary for the mass distribution of the artist as in the case of Duke Ellington and Irving Mills; Benny Goodman and John Hammond.

            With so much competition within the world of music as well as segregation in place African Americans found themselves competing for limited jobs. As Duke Ellington created and orchestrated his music more towards a white audience, this established his success in the Cotton Club. Due to white band leaders being accepted in society they were more accepted by mainstream America, “Yet it is important to acknowledge the advantages enjoyed by Goodman and other white bandleaders during the era. Unlike the black bandleaders, they were more readily accepted by mainstream America. They typically enjoyed easier working conditions, stayed at better accommodations when on the road, received higher pay, and had more secure careers. They were not forced to suffer the indignities of racism that even the finest black jazz musicians faced on a regular basis” (Gioia 142). With such racial injustices black artist began to take an activist stand to bring attention to the racial injustices that were occurring in society as well as the entertainment industry, for example Billy Holiday “Strange Fruit” a song protesting one of the many racial injustices of the time-Lynching. As race was an earlier determination of hierarchy in America, it was also used for matters dealing with social advances in the economy, resurfacing as a barrier to suppress African American in the declining entertainment industry to uphold racial dominance for white musicians and Americans.