Given that race has always been a discourse in the history of jazz, why did race become explicit in the 1930s—written and talked about in the “Swing Era” as never before?

Race became critical in the 1930’s for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that jazz was becoming more predominant in pop culture, therefore bringing attention to black culture. Jazz was moving from the bordello to the night clubs, from the margins to the mainstream. (Stewart, February 14, 2013) It was this attention to black music and pop culture that made it expand into society. Also the process of American assimilation of a Black-originated art form into the mainstream of popular culture, jazz becomes an economic boondoggle. (Stewart, February 14, 2013). And finally white musicians and Black musicians are in competition with one another for the financial rewards and cultural respect for mastery of this art form. (Stewart, February 14, 2013)

            In my personal opinion, jazz became more popular because of race, because of the Great Depression. The Great Depression really had an economic impact on jazz. I believe since the Swing Era started that musicians had to travel more, if they had the means, to make money. And this physical spread jazz, and the spread of jazz called attention to race. The expansion of the Black art made a reckoning of Black people and their culture. Resulting in an awareness of black people 

            The city that was most important to the development of jazz in the 1920s was Harlem, New York. Although Chicago contributed many great artists such as Louis  Armstong, Bix Beiderbeck, King Oliver, and the Austin High School Gang, it fell short in contributing a new type of element to jazz.  In Chicago, the role of the soloist was more prominent, and the ensemble playing became more complex. (Stewart, January 31) But in Harlem a stronger sound was created with the advent of stride piano. This also led to the creation of jungle music, a term that stemmed from the white man’s wanting of the Black man’s mind and the Black woman’s body. (Stewart, February 5)  Stride piano came to be known as the bridge between the ragtime idiom of the turn of the century, and the new jazz piano styles that were in the process of evolution. (Gioia, 96) It was this major contribution to jazz that made Harlem a more influential city.

            But jazz did not just influence the musical sector of Harlem, it also affected socio and economic conditions as well. The most prominent part of the social conditions that jazz sculpted, was the merging of the highbrow and low brow Blacks.(Gioia, 96) Stride piano was the main merger performed in Harlem, by artists like Fats Waller, Art Tatum, Fletcher Henderson, James P. Johnson, and Willie “The Lion” Smith. Stride helped create a unification amongst Blacks, because of mostly everyone’s enjoyment of music. It was this universal enjoyment that helped blur racial lines. Over the radio, a lot of Black jazz musicians had their music played without Whites recognizing it, allowing for the spread of music. It was also the ability for some Black artists to play in white venues that allowed for the Spread of Black jazz. For example like Duke Ellington working at the Cotton Club, a gangster run nightclub, which allowed for Duke to and his band to be pushed in a positive direction for their career. (Stewart, January 15) Finally, jazz had an impact on the economics of Harlem as well. Because many people could not afford their rent, they threw rent parties as a way to make extra money for the rent. A rent party is essentially the hiring of an artist to perform at your place to pay the next month’s rent. These are just a few of the ways that jazz contributed to the Harlem environment.

            But if one were to pick an artist that best represented Harlem and its culture, it would be hands down, Art Tatum. A nearly blind musician that was ahead of his time, stands out as a master of Harlem stride piano. (Gioia, 101) Not only was he highly skilled in the piano, but he made an excellent soloist while still being able to collaborate well. (Gioia, 104) In a time of prominent soloist, I think that the best skill as an artists could have, besides playing an instrument is this ability to combine your sound with others. As we transfer to swing we will discuss how a uniform sound is important. (Stewart, February 12) it is this skill that helps put Art Tatum before his time and prepared for the future of jazz.