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The Banning of Jazz
Zion, a town in Illinois officially banned jazz music and performances, referring to them as "sinful" to society. -
Early Recordings (no specific date)
Pianist James P. Johnson records "The Harlem Strut" and "Carolina Shout", the first piano stride recordings. This remarkable act was done in New York. -
The Creation of Race Records (no specific date)
Race Records were created. This led to marketing professionals categorizing music by the race of the performers. -
The Spread of Jazz (no specific date)
George Gershwin writes "Jazz in Blue", a jazz influenced piece for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, thus strengthening the impact Jazz had on society. -
Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith (no specific date)
Louis Armstrong (trumpeter) and Bessie Smith (blues singer) record the classic version of W.C. Handy's "St. Louis Blues" for Columbia Records. Thus colliding two renowned worlds and emphasizing the artistic nature of both. -
The Growth of Scat (no specific date)
Scat is used by Louis Armstrong on his record, "Heebie Jeebies", thus introducing society to a whole new medium in the increase of music. -
The Role of Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington (pianist and bandleader) officially begins his residency at The Cotton Club in Harlem, thus increasing their band from six to eleven members. The new members of Ellington's band included Barney Bigard (clarinet) and Harry Carney (baritone saxophone) -
The Impact of Benny Goodman and the AFM (no specific date)
Benny Goodman (clarinetist), makes his first recordings. Is later given the title of "The King of Swing." He joined the American Federation of Musicians at age 14 and reached the peak of his popularity in the 1930s, when swing was most prevalent. The American Federation of Musicians eventually became the first jazz band to play at Carnegie Hall, producing tons of hits and making the name of jazz proud. -
St. Louis Blues (no specific date)
"St. Louis Blues", a film about the life of pianist James W. Handy is released featuring Bessie Smith (blues singer) and James P. Johnson's (pianist) band. -
The Continuation of Jazz (no specific date)
By 1930, the genre of Jazz started to "grow up" and evolve in many ways. It became a new form of art that could be adopted and spread into other forms of music as well.
