Blog #3: Race During the Swing Era

            During the 1930s, jazz became less of a creative art form and more of an economic game. Specifically, this game was a competition between white musicians and black musicians, each fighting for the “financial rewards and cultural respect for mastery of this art form” as Professor Stewart asserts in his “Swing Change” PowerPoint. This competition led to race becoming more explicit in this “Swing Era”.

Jazz music discovered its position in the “mainstream of popular culture” and became an “economic boondoggle” (Professor Stewart). In the previous years, the most talented jazz musician was the most successful; however, during the 1930s, being talented was not enough; a strong acumen in business was equally as pivotal. This was partially due to the fact that the Great Depression was occurring at this time and so economic stability was commonly sought after; however, also was the fact that white musicians and black musicians were equally prevalent and so to be more successful than an opposing musician, one required this business knowledge to be publicly advertised. As a result, the musician would become more popular than others and become more successful as well. This led to race becoming more explicit because, in the past, blacks relied heavily on their talent to be successful, but now they needed to conform to a more business outlook (in which the white musicians had more knowledge) rather than relying solely on talent and creativity. Race was not as important now.

Duke Ellington is a strong example of a black musician who converted to a more business approach by “hiring an agent to mainstream his music” (Professor Stewart). Like Duke Ellington, black musicians became open to “criticism and comments by those who represent[ed] the white audience” that became the majority of listeners (Professor Stewart). This is because, previously, both white and black musicians lacked a high culture of respect as Professor Stewart claims. Black jazz musicians were not considered a part of the Harlem Renaissance by the intellectuals while white musicians were criticized for playing music with black origins. However, the high culture for white and black musicians arrived when Benny Goodman played the Carnegie Hall in 1938 with his black band mates. This “social miscegenation” that Professor Stewart refers to was an integrating factor of jazz into the high culture of whites and blacks, bringing about more racial acceptance.

            The fundamental source of advertisement (for the musicians) and entertainment (for the public) during this time was the radio. One of the most significant aspects of the radio was the fact that it was racially unsegregated, meaning that the listener could not decipher between the differences of a white band and a black band. As a result, the only substantial importance was the sound of the music, not the race of the musicians. Consequently, white and black musicians were equal; they received identical praise regarding respect and popularity. This similar representation through the radio caused race to be more explicit since race was not an issue on the radio. White musicians earned their acclaim when it was deserved as well as black musicians; race no longer affected such opinions, though critics, being majority white, were more critical toward black musicians. Race was more explicit as both were being critiqued by whites and blacks alike though, because of the radio, race was not as defining as the ability of the musician. Also, the criticism of the audience was simply constructive for musicians to favour to their audience’s desires.

            In essence, race became more explicit in the 1930s because it became more obsolete. Jazz became more of an economic pathway as opposed to its previous creative form which caused the more knowledgeable business musician to become popular and successful; race was not an issue. Also, the radio allowed blacks to cross a segregated obstacle, further causing racial difference to become less important. Moreover, the majority white audiences offered criticism so that musicians (white and black alike) could improve.