The documentary “JAZZ” directed by Ken Burns in 2001 explores the origin and progression of jazz, which is widely regarded as America’s greatest cultural achievement. The first segments, titled “Gumbo, Beginnings to 1917” and “The Gift (1917-1924),” focus on the early development of jazz. These episodes trace its roots from New Orleans and its subsequent expansion to Chicago and New York during the Jazz Age. This essay will assess the initial two episodes of Ken Burns’ documentary “JAZZ” and examine jazz’s historical background, racial implications, and societal influence.
Examining the structure and efficacy of documentary film in recounting history, particularly in the initial installment of Ken Burns’ “JAZZ,” attention is directed towards how the social and political climate in New Orleans from the late 17th to early 18th century impacted the birth of jazz. This episode provides a distinctive and profound depiction of history by combining historical explanations conveyed by narrator Keith David with poignant insights from African American artists, surpassing conventional textbooks and encyclopedias.
Keith David stated that New Orleans was not only the most diverse city in America but also served as the center for slave trade. The city acted as a melting pot for individuals from various nationalities, resulting in a fusion of musical styles including Caribbean rhythms, classical music, minstrel music, the blues, ragtime, and more. African Americans made use of these diverse musical genres during a period when they were denied the freedom promised to every American citizen.
According to Ken Burns, African Americans discovered freedom through music and dance, as illustrated by a set of photographs showing them singing, dancing, and playing drums in Congo Square. Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, who is African American and from New Orleans, shares that when African slaves reached America, they encountered a strange new environment that forced them to adapt and think on their feet in order to endure.
During its inception, jazz differentiated itself from other musical styles of the era by incorporating extensive improvisation and creativity. A key musical influence was Ragtime, a style characterized by incessant syncopated rhythms developed by African American piano players. Burns effectively employs art photography and photojournalism to enhance the vibrancy of the story, as seen in the photos and video clips depicting people engaged in ragtime performances and dancing.
The youth greatly enjoyed listening to and dancing to ragtime music, while older white men saw it as a form of anarchism. Massachusetts attorney and politician Edward Baxter Perry expressed his belief that those who engaged in ragtime should be treated like rabid dogs and given a dose of lead.
As New Orleans became more segregated, previously emancipated creoles, white individuals with African American heritage, started playing music alongside African Americans. This collaboration led to the development of a new music style called jazz, which incorporated classical music and piano skills that were prevalent among creoles. Another major influence on jazz was the blues, which Ken Burns highlights as a consequence of the political climate during that era.
In 1877, racial integration efforts in the South were halted when an agreement between northern republicans and southern democrats led to the withdrawal of federal troops from the region. Ken Burns briefly mentions this agreement, noting that it gave rise to a new system of segregation laws known as “Jim Crow,” named after a popular minstrel show. This period witnessed the harsh re-establishment of “white rule,” accompanied by frequent lynchings. Consequently, numerous African Americans fled from the segregated Mississippi Delta and sought safety in New Orleans.
According to African American essayist and American culture critic Gerald Early, the blues brought by them were an “aesthetic that freed them from the burden of minstrelsy.” The blues were a mixture of spirituals, work songs, call and response, shouts that were only possible due to the suffering of black people during their oppression. As American blues singer and songwriter Alberta Hunter explains, “the blues are like spirituals, almost sacred. When we sing blues, we’re pouring out our hearts and expressing our emotions.”
Perhaps when we are injured and unable to respond, we resort to singing or even humming the blues. Jazz emerged from a desire for liberation and artistic expression, yet racial tensions persisted during its development into a popular music genre. Although Jelly Roll Morton, an American pianist associated with ragtime and early jazz, has claimed credit for inventing jazz, the earliest recorded jazz performances were by white artists. Wynton Marsalis quotes Nick Loraca who suggests that African Americans learned to play jazz from white musicians. Marsalis’s facial expressions and prolonged pause reveal the horror experienced by black individuals upon hearing this statement. The documentary smoothly transitions from the first episode to the second, titled “The Gift,” which focuses on how World War I transformed American society. As white and black soldiers fought side by side in Europe, racism began to dissipate and black soldiers earned respect from their comrades and allies. James Reese Europe’s infantry Jazz band, known as “The Hell Fighters,” played ragtime music for European audiences, exposing them to this musical style.
In America, the focal point of jazz undergoes a relocation from New Orleans to Chicago and New York due to significant waves of immigrants settling in these cities. Studs Terkel, an American historian, reveals that individuals from the southern states migrated to Chicago and New York during the “Great Migration” in pursuit of improved employment opportunities and personal freedom. As a result, these cities transform into prominent urban centers teeming with flappers, gangsters, and illicit saloons, fostering an environment conducive to jazz, which continues to be regarded as an unconventional genre of music.
When prohibition is enacted, the American people become more relaxed, as Gerald Early explains, “the jazz age became an umbrella term for this whole loosening up, this whole lubrication thanks to prohibition where everyone was drinking more than they should just to defy an absolutely unenforceable law.” Burns tells the stories of two jazz prodigies who are born during this time period as these cities flourish. In his film, Burns promotes the use of first-person narratives.
Louis Armstrong believes that it is crucial to communicate with a large group of people through storytelling. Despite facing challenges in his childhood without a father, Armstrong emerges as the foremost jazz soloist and greatly influences the course of jazz for years to come. Partnering with his mentor King Oliver, a jazz cornet player, they inspire musicians from all races and backgrounds. Armstrong is widely recognized as the most influential improviser in jazz while Duke Ellington holds the esteemed title of America’s greatest composer.
This African American musician, hailing from Harlem, combined different musical genres of America to create a cohesive sound. Alongside Fletcher Henderson and Paul Whiteman, these individuals had a significant impact on the evolution of jazz music throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The “JAZZ” documentary series by Ken Burns not only chronicles the music’s history but also delves into the continuous transformation of a nation as it pursues equality and freedom for every citizen.
The documentary JAZZ, directed by Ken Burns, explores how African Americans used music to overcome racial discrimination. By incorporating influences from various personalities, nationalities, races, and religions, they expressed themselves and created a unique form of musical expression. This film presents this story through exclusive footage consisting of previously unseen photographs and video clips, accompanied by insightful commentaries and narration from both African American artists and American historians. Through its visuals and sounds, JAZZ provides a captivating introduction to the origins of jazz in the 18th and 19th centuries.
