How did early american jazz have a significant impact on cultural and racial boundaries?

Question

please provide as much insight as possible -thanks

Answer 1

I couldn't really find anything about the impact of early jazz other than Wikipedia. I would have to say, just from listening to the early forms and then the later forms of jazz and swing, I would have to say that its impact would have to be the appeal of jazz to "White" America. As jazz evolved, white composers made jazz their own, like George Gershwin and then later Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. Since rock-n-roll has its roots in Jazz, then that could also have a huge impact on music of today. This might not be the best answer, but it is one impact on America.

Answer 2

EARLY jazz was considered slightly scandalous and had a very strong association with poor blacks. It was essentially an urban music, so it had a certain moral stigma (it didn't help that jazz was played mostly in less-than-reputable nightclubs).

The positive side was that it added a new genre of music to American culture, which quickly began to influence other genres and form hybrids. It "loosened up" the strict moral code surrounding music and dance, helping usher in the cultural changes of the 20th century. And it provided some means of fame for certain black performers and composers, which would have been impossible before.

One way to illustrate this process is to look at the development of hip-hop over the past 30 years. Jazz took a similar arc, except that it began in a period of racial and moral repression.