Why Is Armstrong Considered Influential in the History of Jazz: Essay

The research conducted focuses on the compositional aspects of Dixieland Jazz as well as the structure of its music. The music itself gained popularity in the early 20th century due to some iconic musicians that not only performed them but created the fundamental composition of Dixieland Jazz. This research also includes the origins of how this came to be and additional information from books, scholarly articles, and audio recordings that help support this argument.

Introduction

The purpose of this research involves diving deep into the roots of what made Dixieland Jazz what it was and how it became known as traditional jazz. Not only that but also how this music genre was structured and how musical icons such as Louis Armstrong influenced its popularity. This research contributes to the academic world due to the number of connections between other jazz music and the music of today. The history section heavily supports this claim through a lot of information about the people who have popularized Dixieland Jazz (or traditional jazz) and how this became the root of jazz.

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Another important part of this research includes the compositional techniques and how this music style was performed. This involves the mentioning of improvisational techniques and rhythm that contributed to the style of Dixieland Jazz, as well as the instruments used and their role. Throughout this research, it has been difficult finding trustworthy scholarly information about this music genre, let alone basic information about its compositional structure and its history. So after careful observations, I managed to find useful information to explain the unique style of Dixieland Jazz.

I chose this as my research assignment for the sake of finding more information about how Dixieland developed and how this influenced other genres of music. As a musician, I also wanted to figure out why Dixieland sounds catchy and how the style is similar to that of a marching-style tune. Throughout this research, I found traces of information from scholarly databases and website sources. Although searching through the internet without databases has been proven to be unreliable, I made sure the historical information I found matched or at least connected with the scholarly sources and doubled checked the background of the group and/or individual who created the website, as well as the references used.

History

Dixieland jazz came about after the 1890s when jazz started to become popular in New Orleans. This particular style came to be known as one of the evolutions of jazz that was created in 1916. Around this time was when the blacks moved out of the South “...​in hopes of finding better economic and social opportunities in Northeastern cities” in which after they “...would bring the music and customs of New Orleans, Atlanta, and other locales to New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia” (​“Early Jazz” 26). This major event was what made jazz come to life. The problem with the particular term “Dixieland” was that it sparked racial controversy within the black community. This was a result of an all-white musical group called The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) who supposedly claimed the title of “The Creators of Jazz” (Dixieland). Although this group did not entirely fit the jazz culture, they did set the style for the Dixieland jazz genre through instrumentation.

The instrumental setup of Dixieland jazz adopted the “...marching band tradition in employing the​ trumpet​ (or cornet),​ clarinet, and​ trombone​ as front-line instruments” (Britannica). These instruments, mostly the trumpet, normally have the melodies while the “Other instruments—the guitar, piano, drums, bass, and banjo—kept rhythm and time” ​(​“Early Jazz” 27). The main sound of Dixieland Jazz was normally the cornet soloing while the other frontline instruments played improvised melodies and the other instruments mentioned kept time. This type of sound was known as a polymorphic sound (Dixieland). The polymorphic sound was what gave Dixieland Jazz its unique style of presentation which several popular musicians have performed and mastered along the way. One popular trombonist named Edward “Kid” Ory serves as a great example of this claim.

“Edward “Kid” Ory is among the most notable early Dixieland musicians and was considered to be one of the very first trombonists of African heritage to have been heard on early recordings” (Thacker). He was part of the first non-white jazz group to ever be recorded in 1922 and served as a role model for future generations of jazz musicians (Thacker). He was a successful musician from the mid-1890s all the way through the 1960s when other jazz evolutions such as ragtime began to overshadow the Dixieland genre (Thacker). All these facts about Edward “Kid” Ory were what made him a great asset to the Dixieland jazz genre. Not only that but also his accomplishments set the stage for the other jazz musicians during that time, even after Dixieland jazz became less popular. “Likewise Ory’s popularity in the early 1920s created opportunities for other musicians through the twentieth century from African and other ancestries” (Thacker).

This meant that he also contributed towards the progression of jazz through his Dixieland style while inspiring others at the same time. Another musician by the name of Louis Armstrong also served as one of the most popular Dixieland jazz icons.

Having already mentioned that the trumpet (or cornet) normally plays the solos, Louis Armstrong exemplified this through “...his introduction of the extended solo” that “...revolutionized the world of music, and he became one of our century’s most recognized and best-loved entertainers” (“Louis Armstrong”). The extended solo conflicted with how the Dixieland style was structured in the 1920s since no person in the group would solo for that long. But this was what revolutionized early jazz while maintaining “...the well-integrated front line... the art of Dixieland” (Clark). The majority of the music he played during the early jazz age was “...more of the standard Dixieland repertoire…” (Clark). This means that the other jazz genres have adopted the frontline structure of Dixieland jazz and created something unique, likewise to what Louis Armstrong implemented which was the extended solo. Other jazz musicians began creating their own style from his ideas, which were based on the early jazz structure of Dixieland as mentioned already.

During the 1930s, other forms of jazz started increasing in popularity, leaving Dixieland jazz behind the dust, but during the 1940s, Dixieland as well as “...​older styles were returning to fashion​” up until today (Britannica). These early forms of jazz, mainly Dixieland, “...continued to be essential to the musical life of New Orleans...” as well as the traditions that were carried along from the mid-1890s until now (Britannica).

Composition Techniques

Dixieland jazz has a steady, catchy marching rhythm that everyone can enjoy on a summer day. “Dixieland like certain other musical genres goes by a two-beat count or a ‘one-two, one-two, one-two’...,” emphasizing the downbeat, which in this case is the one (Jstutler). The style of this music genre also “...uses embellished triads…” and “...basic seventh chords…” that gave Dixieland jazz that simple, marching feel that appeals to people back when early jazz started until now (Jstutler). Although the techniques of Dixieland jazz mainly consist of improvisation and steady rhythm, this style can be heard in many popular jazz pieces today due to its fundamental influences.

The term Dixieland jazz normally refers to traditional jazz or early jazz since it started in the early 1900s. The style had almost been forgotten after the stock market crash in 1929, but after the 1930s, the jazz enthusiasts started “...recognizing that early jazz had been neglected and deserved serious study…” and decided that they “...turned back to New Orleans” (“Jazz Origins in New Orleans”). The revival of traditional jazz music gave rise to the jazz music of today. The style of Dixieland comprised of “...featured choruses in which every player was creating phrases which complemented every other player's phrases” ('Early Jazz” 26). An example of a jazz piece influenced by the Dixieland style would be “Take the A Train” by Duke Ellington in 1939. There are several recordings all around the internet of this piece, all of which sound very similar to each other. Just from listening to this piece, there is a definite ONE-two rhythm that remains consistent throughout the entire piece. There are also the sounds of frontline instruments that fit the description mentioned about the Dixieland style of complementing each other's phrases. The implementation of Louis Armstrong’s infamous extended solos can be heard as well, which evolved the Dixieland style as explained in the history section.

Speaking of Louis Armstrong, “Despite the overwhelming popularity of rock and roll after the 1950s, Armstrong proved Dixieland's lasting appeal in 1964 with the popularity of his “Hello Dolly!” (Salamone 134). There are several recordings and videos of Louis Armstrong performing this music piece. The music analysis remains similar to that of “Take the A Train” where this piece has a definite ONE-two rhythm as well as the frontline and background instruments creating the Dixieland atmosphere.

Louis Armstrong not only performed an extended solo with his trumpet, but he sang as well while the frontline instruments complemented each other. This music analysis matches the Dixieland characteristics that were mentioned already, meaning the Dixieland style can be heard even with other genres of jazz music. More modern jazz groups and individuals emerged after the influences of Dixieland and Louis Armstrong’s implementations of the style, as well as for the musicians of today such as Wynton Marsalis.

At this point in time, many of the best influencers of Dixieland have passed away, “...but younger musicians such as Wynton Marsalis and Jim Cullum continue to incorporate the style into their music” (Salamone 135). Wynton Marsalis serves as a great example for d=Dixieland incorporated music pieces that he has written. By the time he was just fourteen years old, “...he was already performing as a trumpet soloist for the New Orleans Symphony, and also playing jazz with other groups” (“Marsalis” 260). New Orleans has represented the birthplace of early jazz, Dixieland being one of them. After that, he began performing in tours, creating showcases for playing jazz music, and still uses some of the styles influenced by Dixieland and Louis Armstrong’s extended solo implementation. There are several recordings of him performing at live concerts, and in each and every concert, there still resemble characteristics of the Dixieland style that have already been mentioned.

Conclusion

After doing careful research, I found Dixieland jazz quite more interesting than I had ever anticipated it to be. I was surprised that this style had almost died in the late 1920s, but I’m glad that the revival of this style of early jazz remains alive today. During the research, not only have I listened to Dixieland, but I have also listened to the other forms of jazz from the 1920s until now, and I have noticed that there is still that fundamental emphasis of the downbeat in almost every single piece I have listened to.

References

1. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Dixieland.” ​Encyclopædia Britannica​, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., ​www.britannica.com/art/Dixieland.
2. Clark, John. 'Louis Armstrong All-Stars.'​ IAJRC Journal​, vol. 41, no. 3, 2008, pp. 78​. ProQuest, http://libproxy.csun.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/224991527?accountid=7285.
3. “Dixieland.” ​Acoustic Music, acousticmusic.org/research/history/musical-styles-and-venues-in-america/dixieland/.
4. 'Early Jazz from New Orleans to Chicago (1900–1930).' ​Jazz, edited by Ronald D. Lankford, Jr., Lucent Books, 2011, pp. 25-41. Lucent Library of Black History. Gale Ebooks, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX1945700008/GVRL?u=csunorthridge&sid=GVRL&xid=0b6b9662. Accessed 27 Sept. 2019.
5. “Jazz Origins in New Orleans.” ​National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/jazz/learn/historyculture/history_early.htm.
6. Jstutler. “Dixieland Jazz: Character Traits of the Musical Style.” ​Razzmatazz, razzmajazz.com/2019/02/22/dixieland-jazz-character-traits-of-the-musical-style/.
7. “Louis Armstrong.” ​PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 10 Mar. 2017, www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/louis-Armstrong-about-Louis-armstrong/528/.
8. 'Marsalis, Wynton.' ​Contemporary Authors, edited by Amy Elisabeth Fuller, vol. 294, http://www.britannica.com/art/Dixieland
9. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX1945700008/GVRL?u=csunorthridge&sid=GVRL&xid=0b6b9662
10. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX1945700008/GVRL?u=csunorthridge&sid=GVRL&xid=0b6b9662
11. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX1945700008/GVRL?u=csunorthridge&sid=GVRL&xid=0b6b9662
12. Gale, 2010, pp. 259-264. ​Gale Ebooks, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2321500126/GVRL?u=csunorthridge&sid=GVRL&xid=43ff89ae. Accessed 25 Oct. 2019.
13. Salamone, Frank A. 'Dixieland.' ​St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, edited by Thomas Riggs, 2nd ed., vol. 2, St. James Press, 2013, pp. 134-135. ​Gale Ebooks, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX2735800762/GVRL?u=csunorthridge&sid=GVRL&xid=2920798e. Accessed 24 Oct. 2019.
14. Thacker, Brian R. ​The 1922 Recordings of Edward “Kid” Ory (1886–1973), “Creole Trombone” and “Society Blues”: A Performance Edition, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Ann Arbor, 2003. ProQuest​, http://libproxy.csun.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/305316131?accountid=7285.