Jazz and the Roaring Twenties

The 1920s have been one of those patches in the history of America that have left a deep impression on the minds of Americans. And who knew that these years would be itched out so beautifully in the lives of contemporary Americans as well! The 1920s have been rightly nicknamed the ‘Roaring Twenties’, for reasons more than one, and all of which are pretty much justified.

The Great American Dream was like a bubble that burst with severe consequences and the evidence of the same can be found in different movies, books and of course, jazz music. The Great Recession of 1919, which crushed the lavish and flamboyant dreams of the Americans, left little hope of revival. But amidst all the economic blues and stock market turmoil, hope did peep out. Music, in particular jazz, came to be the silver lining around the dark cloud for American societies.

The Roaring Twenties

After the massive bolts from the economic crash and World War I, this was now the time to regain the lost glory. Ten long years is a lot of time and during the 19020s, America indeed saw an economic boom along with widespread prosperity that helped the country to revive from the past tremors. There was a boom in the construction industry, the stock market graphs rose impressively, the growth of consumer goods like automobiles and electricity shot up, and the American economy provided loans to other countries too.

In a nutshell, America got back its lost glory, improved its financial standards and was once again in a situation to enjoy life! This was also the time when jazz music became extremely popular and it was received with open arms everywhere in America.

The genre of Jazz

Jazz was improvisational and the development of phonograph technology made jazz transformative. Previously music-lovers had to wait for their visit to a nightclub or a concert to treat themselves to some authentic jazz music. But during this decade, they did not have to go far as they could listen to their favorite recordings or simply turn on the radio in their homes. Therefore, this further opened the doors to jazz to enter the living rooms of all those who could or could not venture out of the close comforts of their homes and couches. Radio and records brought jazz closer to the music lovers and they grew more familiar with the jazz musicians and vocalists, the characteristics of jazz music, big bands and many more.

Harlem’s Cotton Club became one of the most famous venues where people thronged to listen to jazz music. Both the whites and the blacks played jazz together and also gathered together to listen to others play. They even danced the Charleston (a dance form that was popularized in the US in the early 1920s) to their heart’s content. The Roaring Twenties and jazz highly influenced American literature as well. You will find traces of both in Fitzgerald’s famous novel ‘The Great Gatsby’. The indelible mark that these two had left on the life, society, entertainment and culture of America, is commendable.

Final words:

Some of the finest jazz tunes and tracks were composed during the Roaring Twenties and you cannot help but fall in love with these. Listen to the best jazz and swing music in USA on the Swing Street Radio music station and keep swinging all day long. You can listen to the different shows that take place on the station, request or dedicate a particular song to anyone that you want.