AbstractsHistory

Artists, as a rule, stand apart from the society that spawns them. This separation is caused by a number of factors, some of which are inherent to the artist, some to the society, and some as a result of the two coming together. American jazz musicians are in a good position for a study of this situation. Their art is fairly recent, and has been given a lot of notoriety. The force of jazz within our society and its influence throughout the world has been felt by many, and with a variety of reactions. Race and racism has figured greatly as a factor in this separation. Jazz evolved from Blacks in America, and in many ways was subjugated to the same treatment by Whites. The business world has alienated many jazz musicians through its ability to compromise them, and the great number of cases in which jazz musicians have been taken advantage of. The jazz musician's audience causes another problem: appealing to them without catering to them. At the same time, jazz has attracted people for other than musical reasons, which has led some segments of society to label them as they do the musicians. Critics in both the literary and musical world, especially in the 1920's, were slow at accepting jazz as it became more popular. Recognition was conditional, and often misplaced, causing hardships for many, especially black, musicians. Alcohol and narcotics have long been associated with jazz, and are both a cause and a result of the separation from society. Success of jazz in foreign countries led many jazz musicians to leave America and seek employment abroad. Most feel, that for a number of reasons, jazz is better accepted abroad than in America.