Music+of+the+1920s

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The 1920s were characterized by style of music called jazz; thus, this time period is called the "Jazz Age." The following is a playlist of some popular songs of the Jazz Age.

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[|Famous Singers of the Jazz Age]

Here are some photographs of the singers listed above:

Frank Sinatra

Joe Williams

Louis Armstrong

Mel Torme

Billy Eckstine

Nat King Cole

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 * __Scat Singing__**

One of the most popular styles of music in the 1920s was scat singing. Scat is using syllables together that do not make words to an unrehersed melody. Some believe it was originally created in West Africa, while others believe scat came from jazz singers imitating jazz instruments. Scat was made famous in the United States by African American singers, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, and Louis Armstrong. Armstrong took scat to a new level with solos that were just as creative as his trumpet solos. Other musicians, Ward Swingle for example, recreated scat to fit others styles of music including classical. So many creative forms of singing have come out of scat, some say yodeling is a recreation of scat.

Ella Fitzgerald

Cab Calloway

Richard Cole. "Scat Singing." 22 Feburary 2007. Virginia Tech. 27 November 2007 [|Scat] 1196865800


 * __Speakeasies and Night Clubs__**

The Cotton Club, opened by Owney Madden on December 4, 1923, was one Harlem's most popular nightclubs, if not the most popular. It was located on "jungle alley", an area of Harlem that was densely populated with nightcubls and speakeasies, where with the Cotton Club, Connie's Place, and Small's Paridise were the most popular nightclubs. Madden used the club as an outlet for his bootleg beer to be sold to the "whites only" audience. The entertainment was consisted of only the best of black entertainers and played a major role in the Harlem Rennasaince. The shows were up to two hours long and featured the greatest black entertainers of the time including, Ethel Waters, Adelaide Hall, Duke Ellington,and Cab Calloway. The Cotton Club was also well known and famous for its "cotton colored" or light colored black women, all under the age of 21, chorus line.

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[|Click Here]

The 1920s were crazy years full of excitement and music. New styles were introduced like scat and blues and jazz this amazing music era became known as many things like the Harlem Renaissance and the Roaring 20s.The world seemed to revolve around music. Around this time people saw music as entertainment, a day filled with music must of been a good one. Musicians also became known, like Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Bessie Smith and a lot more. African Americans were getting some respect because they were the one first introduced jazz and blues.
 * __Musicians__**

A link to a list of artist from the 1920's! whoop whoop!

http://www.the1920snetwork.com/musicians/index.html

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__**Popular Dances in the 1920s**__

In the 1920s, new dances were emerging. The Jazz era, as this time was called, produced new dances that became very popular. The Charleston was the most popular dance done. But Swing dancing was in a close second. Another popular dance was the Lindy Hop. All of these 1920s help form the Jitterbug in the 1930s. The dancings in the 1920s were full of quick kicks and feet movement. It was usually done to music with a quick beat.

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Jazz was the most popular music style of the 1920s. Jazz was viewed as corruptive and was often criticized. Almost as interesting as the music itself are the instruments used by the musicians. Some of these instruments are pictured below.
 * __Jazz Instruments__**

[|1920s Jazz]

Saxophone

Trumpet

Trombone

Guitar

1920s Jazz Band

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In F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel, //The Great Gatsby//, music plays a huge role. James Gatsby throws tremendous parties including a full orchestra. Because the novel is set in the 1920s, we know that the so called "Jazz Age" is in full swing at this point. This transition to a new style of music brought with in a renewed need to be better than your neighbor as clearly displayed in //The Great Gatsby//. In the novel, music was seen as an outlet all though it might not of been jazz or blues music. Music played a major roll in nightlife and especially in free time. Gatsby's parties, like the night clubs in Harlem, were a place where people could listen to the best music of the time and could easily get their hands on some bootleg beer. 1197034864
 * __The "Jazz Age" and__ //__The Great Gatsby__//**