User:"psithurism311"/Storyville, New Orleans

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The complexity that occurred during the development of Jazz music was filled with chaos, violets, and an intensity that left an unmistakable mark on Storyville New Orleans. A course of sequences within different colonial control brought on by the French, Spanish, and Anglo-Americans, created a mixed musical atmosphere all over the city.[1] This musical blending gave musicians from different backgrounds the opportunity to perform in the saloons, brothels, dance clubs, and cribs of Storyville.

At the creation of Storyville, black and white musicians were segregated. The red-light district first opened to African Americans who brought their musical background with them. Attributions in the structure of; the Bamboula Rhythm- which is present in Jelly Roll Morton's song "Spanish Tinge", Call and Response conversation of first and second voices in New Orleans Jazz, vocalization of drums in African drum orchestra- which transfers to instruments in early Jazz, and improvisation that is present in west and central African music that persists in Jazz today.[2] The syncopated beat is a particular feature also linked to African music traditions that provided an influence to musicians within Storyville.[3] As time went on and white musicians started to enter Storyville, they increasingly were influenced by black performers. The segregation slowly started to diminish, and sharing their common interest brought the races together in some informal musical ventures. Bands signed to labels remained segregated.[4]

Musicians were hired by madams (owners of the brothel houses) to entertain clients within the mansion's parlors. These audiences tended to not be very critical, giving performers the freedom to experiment with their musical styles. Performers such as Jelly Roll Morton, and Manuel Monetta played piano all times of the day and night, which was customary within these brothel houses. At the same time dance halls and saloons would hold the attention of their patrons with ragtime dance bands. The experimentation and technique advancement within Storyville made its style exceptional during this time in history.[5]

With the closing of Storyville in 1917, the New Orleans musicians who had relied on the district for employment were still able to develop their style and evolve within the New Orleans tourism industry. The appeal of music and vice gave New Orleans favorable money-making conditions and opportunities to play on riverboats and tours.[6] Some of the musicians did leave the city, spreading their musical talents and knowledge to other cities such as Chicago expanding the rhythms of Jazz across the United States.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ Sublette, Ned (2008). The World That Made New Orleans: from Spanish to Congo Square. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Press. p. 4.
  2. ^ "Sources and Styles of Early Jazz". New Orleans Music Map. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  3. ^ Hersch, Charles (2007). Subversive Sounds: Race and the Birth of Jazz in New Orleans. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 772–774.
  4. ^ "The Legend of Storyville". web.archive.org. 2014-05-06. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  5. ^ "Storyville". Music Rising ~ The Musical Cultures of the Gulf South. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  6. ^ Bouzon, Helen; Jennings, Jessica; Chamberlain, Charles. "Storyville District - Stop 7 of 10 on the tour The Birthplace of Jazz: A Walking Tour Through New Orleans's Musical Past". New Orleans Historical. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
  7. ^ "When Jazz Moved to Chicago". The National Endowment for the Humanities. Retrieved 2021-04-13.