The jazz age also known as the roaring twenties, paved the way for new music in America. Alchohol was under prohibition at the time which lead to many clubs selling illegal alcoholic beverages to become popular. These venues also provided live entertainment most commonly was the new music known as jazz. However, most people were not fond of the new jazz. Some people unbelievabley feared that the music was promoting the immoral and illegal acts people were commiting during the roaring twenties. Professor Henry Van Dyck of Princeton University wrote “...it is not music at all. It’s merely an irritation of the nerves of hearing, a sensual teasing of the strings of physical passion.” Over time, people began to enjoy the music more and more. Typical jazz groups would consist of brass and string instruments and in some cases a piano as well.
Many reputable jazz musicians appeared during the roaring twenties such as Bix Beiderbecke and Louis Armstrong. During this era Paul Whiteman wrote the famous “Rhapsody in Blue” which is personally my favourite piece of jazz music. These musicians influenced many swing artists who appeared in the nineteen thirties ushering a knew era of jazz music.
The music of this time was unlike anything anyone of the time had ever heard. The music was very loud and syncapated featuring a saxaphone sound mostly. Many aspiring young people would buy sheet music to learn to play their favourite tunes just as their favourite jazz heros would. Jazz began taking over dance clubs due to its smooth rythems and beats, the music was very enjoable and easy to dance to. Soon, no one could go out any given night with out becoming a slave to the rythms and sounds of the new jazz. Jazz music is what made the roaring twenties what it was.
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