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Evan Oswald Gibbs
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1 Harlem Renaissance, an African American cultural movement of the 1920s and early 1930s that was centered in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Variously known as the New Negro movement, the New Negro Renaissance, and the Negro Renaissance, the movement emerged toward the end of World War I in 1918, blossomed in the mid- to late 1920s, and then faded in the mid- 1930s. The Harlem Renaissance marked the first time that mainstream publishers and critics took African American literature seriously and that African American literature and arts attracted significant attention from the nation at large. Although it was primarily a literary movement, it was closely related to developments in African American music, theater, art, and politics. The Poets and Writers of the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was a great time of achievement for the black poets and writers of the 1920s and early '30s. Many had a hard life living in the Harlem district of New York city. The foundations of this movement were laid in the social and political thought of the early 20th century. One of the most famous of these black political leaders was W.E.B. DuBois. DuBois was the editor of the influential magazine "The Crisis." In this magazine he repeatedly rejected the notion that blacks could achieve social equality by following white ideals and standards. He strongly strove for the renewal of black racial pride through increased emphasis on their African culture and heritage. Langston Hughes, another writer of the Harlem Renaissance, is known and remembered for writing during the movement, but not being guided by a common literary purpose. The only issue that greatly influenced his writings was his own experiences with being an African American. Langston Jughes poems and writings realistically depicted the life of black Americans. These were lives and situations many people outside their race knew nothing about. His work was of high quality and won a favorable reception from the major publishing houses, who were willing to promote his writings only for commercial reasons. Many of these publishing houses stressed their notion of Harlem as an alien, but also as an exotic and unknown place of strange new wonders. During the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes had four major writings that promoted the African Negritude Movement. The first was a critical essay entitled "The Negro Artist and the Racial Movement," which discussed the excitement of this time period. Later, he would write "The Big Sea," an autobiography stating the hardships in his life due to his race.

2 The other two influentioal writings of Hughes, was his two poems, "The Weary Blues" and "Fine Clothes to the Jew." Both were experimental in content and form, which made Jughes leary of their acceptance. Fortunately, they both were accepted and provided a much needed strength to the movement. Langston Hughes is greatly remembered for his genius for merging the comic and the pathetic. His works also influenced many humorists and satirists. But of all his gifts to society, his most enduring was his belief in the commonality of all cultures and the universality of human suffering. This was his main reason for being so involved during the Harlem Renaissance and the black movement. W.E.B. DuBois and Langston Hughes along with several other poets and writers created what is remembered as the Harlem Renaissance. Without their expressions of true black life during the 1920s and early '30s, African Americans would not be where they are today on the road to equality and complete freedom. In the decade following World War I, an artistic explosion occurred within the African American community that produced a wealth of music, literature poetry, dance, social discourse and visual art. Jazz, a result of the Harlem Renaissance, originated from the musical minds of American Blacks. These include traits that survived from West African music black folk music forms developed in the New World In the 1920s, a new woman was born. She smoked, drank, danced, and voted. She cut her hair, wore make-up, and went to petting parties. She was giddy and took risks. She was a flapper. The Flappers' image consisted of drastic - to some, shocking - changes in women's clothing and hair. Nearly every article of clothing was trimmed down and lightened in order to make movement easier. It is said that girls "parked" their corsets when they were to go dancing. 7 The new, energetic dances of the Jazz Age, required women to be able to move freely, something the "ironsides" didn't allow. Replacing the pantaloons and corsets were underwear called "step-ins." The outer clothing of flappers is even still extremely identifiable. This look, called "garconne" ("little boy"), was instigated by Coco Chanel. 8 To look more like a boy, women tightly wound their chest with strips of cloth in order to flatten it. 9 The waists of flapper clothes were dropped to the hipline. She wore stockings - made of rayon ("artificial silk") starting in which the flapper often wore rolled over a garter belt

3 Speakeasies were formed in the 1920's as a means to get around the everyday hassle of law enforcement watching for people to violate the 18th Amendment. As a result of Prohibition, the speakeasy was an established institution. For every legitimate saloon that closed as a result of the new law, a half dozen underground palaces sprung up. These speakeasies were one of the many ways that people during the 1920's and early 1930's obtained illegal alcohol. By the middle of the decade there were thought to be 100,000 speakeasies in New York City alone. Patrons often said you could get a glass of liquor at any building on 52nd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in New York City--if you knew where the speakeasies were and if you had the password to get in. Federal agents also reported that this area was on of the "wettest" in the country. (Crime and Punishments166) Although speakeasies were illegal there were many benefits to those who took the risks of ownership. A speakeasy could net its owner a lot of money, but it also took money to make a profit. One of New York's proprietors estimated his operation costs at abour $1370 per month. Of this sum, $400 was graft money to Federal Prohibition Agents, police officers, and the New York District Attorney. In addition, the cop on the beat would get an extra $40 to turn his back whenever beer was being delivered. The alternative to these payments was to have an elaborate and expensive system for concealing the evidence whenever there was a raid. At Manhatten's "21" Club there were four alarm buttons at various points in the vestibules. If a raid prevented one of them from being pushed, the doorman could reach for another. There were also five separate liqour caches, reachable only through secret doors, and the switches were instantly short circuited whenever an alarm button was pressed. These safety features were an expensive alternative to paying off public officials! Louis Armstrong The first jazz soloist to receive world-wide acclaim The trumpet solos and vocals of the great Satchmo are the most identifiable in jazz. Louis Armstrong Armstrong, Daniel Louis (Satchmo) singer, leader, trumpet Born; New Orleans, La., Died; Louis Armstrong was the first vital jazz soloist to attain world wide influence as trumpeter, entertainer, and show business personality. He was a strong force in spreading the influence of jazz throughout his life. Through his trumpet solos and vocal interpretations alike, jazz fans immortalize

4 him. His Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings done in the mid 1920 s had no parallel in jazz. He is also a well-recognized Pop music figure by his personable and throaty, charming and guttural jazz vocals. A common misconception about this legend is his date of birth; Louis Armstrong was born August 4th, For many years the public believed Armstrong to have been born on the Fourth Of July in The story, a fabrication created by crafty public relations men, made good print. Although he went along with the stunt, his influence in jazz, still being felt today, would be just as far reaching if he had laid claim to being born on "Groundhog Day." Armstrong had what many, today, would refer to as a traumatic or dysfunctional childhood. Out of this environment was born a desire to succeed, be admired, and make people happy. Louis learned at an early age that music could lead to fame and money. He and his friends would sing for nickels and pennies on the streets of his native New Orleans and he saw how popular the musicians who played the funeral and celebratory parades were with the public. On New Year s Eve 1913, just 12 years old, Armstrong was caught firing a gun into the air and sentenced to a boys home for waifs. It was here under the tutelage of Peter Davis, who ran the home, that Armstrong learned how to play the cornet and he was soon playing picnics and parades. Later in life Louis returned year after year to the same waifs home to spread his joy to whoever was housed there. He never forgot Peter Davis or the kids. After his release Satchmo, as he became known, worked in a variety of jobs, occasionally playing background music in the houses of ill repute located mainly in the Storyville section of New Orleans. He was befriended by Joe "King" Oliver who became his mentor and sole musical influence but Oliver moved North to Chicago during a time when many Southern Blacks were heading North in search of a better life. Armstrong's playing continued to improve as he gained even more experience by taking the Kings chair in the Kid Ory band after Oliver left. In July of 1922 Oliver contacted Louis to join him in Chicago and Armstrong headed North. Soon the level of the student's playing had surpassed that of his mentor. In 1924, urged by his wife Lil Armstrong, Louis set out to test his abilities with the sleek Fletcher Henderson band in New York which had a steady gig at the Roseland ballroom. After a long road tour with the band he left in 1925 to return to Chicago where wife Lil now had her own band found Louis working several jobs; one in Carroll Dickerson s orchestra at the Sunset Cabaret where Louis was billed as The World s Greatest Trumpet Player. The owner of the club was Joe Glaser who became Armstrong s longtime manager in During the mid 1920 s Armstrong began recording the sessions that would become legendary with his Hot Five and Hot Seven groups. His first record under his own name was My Heart cut November 12th For better than three years Armstrong remained in Chicago churning out a number of famous recordings that earned him worldwide acclaim. Many were with a pianist he had worked with in the Dickerson band named Earl Fatha Hines. By the time he returned to New York in 1929 both black and white audiences knew Armstrong the world over.

5 While in New York, this time around, Armstrong reached a pivotal point in his career; he led the Dickerson band and doubled in a roll on Broadway in the revue called Hot Chocolates. His first popular song hit came from this show; a song written by Fats Waller called Ain t Misbehavin. From then until the mid 1940 s Louis played with a big band, his material now becoming pop songs of the day, rather than blues or original instrumental compositions. His singing took on a more dominant role in his performances and recordings and some of the groups his record label Decca paired him with were at best questionable. Jazz critics find much of his output from the mid 1930 s forward to be of a lesser regard than his pioneering efforts in the 1920 s even though Armstrong continued to spread the appeal of jazz, as popular music, around the globe as no one else could. While some of his swing recordings from the 1930 s and 1940 s provided many with the opportunity to enjoy him in a more "easy to relate to" and popular manner, others see them as evidence of Armstrong selling out to pop music. One bright spot for improvisation's sake took place at the 1944 Esquire All American Jazz Concert. Louis took his rightful place that evening at the top of a list of jazz all-stars selected by Esquire magazine. He later humbly expressed his enthusiasm and appreciation of being there and playing with all the "greats" that evening but to a man, they had Satchmo to thank for making their careers more fruitful. His new manager Joe Glaser had no trouble in booking and overbooking Armstrong during this period. The schedule he had Louis on was unbelievable, if not downright ludicrous. Many times Armstrong s lips were so overused they bled from his performances. Because Glaser had him moving about so much doing live performances, Armstrong was not recorded as much in the studio with quality backing as he should have been even into the 1950 s. In 1947 Armstrong led a sextet that was to become known as simply Louis Armstrong And His All- Stars. This small group, playing mainly Dixieland based jazz, proved an immediate success and became Armstrong s permanent touring setting. In the 1950 s and 1960 s, following his Decca affiliation, Armstrong was recorded in a variety of settings; from small groups with Oscar Peterson on piano, to two albums with Ella Fitzgerald, to big band and orchestral accompaniment. The bulk of these recordings can be found on the Verve record label. He can also be heard on a live Verve LP called Jazz At The Hollywood Bowl as recorded in the mid 1950 s. Although his Blueberry Hill and Hello Dolly were big pop hits at the end of his career they offer little for jazz and swing music fans. A more interesting and representative pop recording from his latter career would be A Kiss To Build A Dream On arranged by Sy Oliver and another hit. Armstrong was given a bad rap by some as being an Uncle Tom, a judgment laid on him by detractors that viewed his clowning akin to that of a minstrel act. However his love for Harlem, where he made his home, never ceased. Armstrong was outspoken and took an active role in Civil Rights issues starting as early as the Eisenhower era in the 1950 s.

6 Louis Armstrong was the first great trumpet soloist in jazz. His unmistakable trumpet and vocals, while not as hot or improvisational in latter years, continued doing what he loved most, making people happy.

A. began in New Orleans during 1890s. B. Jazz a mix of African and European traditions. 1. Storyville District w/ Creoles of Color

A. began in New Orleans during 1890s 1. Storyville District w/ Creoles of Color B. Jazz a mix of African and European traditions 1. African influences: tonal coloration, blues notes, instrumental and vocal