In one’s reading of the lives and experiences of jazz musicians, the reader will find all kinds of things, as musicians compete with each other, try to better themselves, and evolve the world of jazz as a whole. In a world of jazz that was growing and creating such cultural influence, many artists had strong opinions on their music and the response to it, many feeling they were overlooked and didn’t feel they got a due amount of acclaim. Jelly Roll Morton’s racism and distaste towards black musicians of New Orleans is a harsh example of this reaction. His internalized racism mixing with his impressive self image led to his distaste of black musicians but his sense that he was different from the others. As Lomax claims, “Jelly Roll’s whole life was constructed around his denial of his Negro status” (Lomax, 218). When Papa Sona helps him to get a job through Voodoo, Morton describes the events, always distancing himself from the folk craft, although it obviously would be something with which he would be familiar as a Creole man from New Orleans. This refusal to admit to knowledge or partaking in this cultural tradition furthers the separation Morton creates for himself.
While Morton’s racism is horrifying, a closer look at the culture of the jazz scene gives clues of how he could arrive at this attack. Readings from Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton, as well as those of jazz fans like Dr Edmond Souchon demonstrate the extent to which certain attitudes and aspects of competition are integral to the art form. From the wider roots of a competitive culture in New Orleans clubs and bucking contests to the audacious claims of self-praise to the evolution of artists and the culture behind the music as a whole.
With the tracing of modern-day jazz back to New Orleans, the scene was competitive since its beginnings in jazz clubs and whore houses. Jelly Roll Morton describes his efforts to get a job as something inherently at another player’s downfall; “a maid from Miss Burt’s house walked in and said their regular piano player was sick. ‘Would I like to make a few dollars?’” (Gottlieb p6). Morton would not regularly have wished ill on the previous player, but was required to in order to encourage and enable his own music.
At the time while there were indeed the parades and second lines where everyone would join, there was still this pervasive competition between artists, as Sidney Bechet mentions the bucking contests between different clubs. The mere existence of these clubs at the time implies that there was always a definitive sense of an in-crowd versus an out-crowd. These contests have a harsh name, as “bucking” draws to mind an image of a horse violently ejecting its rider, which is fascinating in contrast to the lively nature and friendliness Bechet describes; “the men in [the jazz clubs], waiting for that parade to start, they’d all have that excited feeling, knowing they could play good, that they was going to please the people who would be about there that day.” (Gottlieb 14). Morton describes the competitions of pianists in the after hours clubs, when people of all races, backgrounds, and walks of life would come together to enjoy the music. While the performers were competing, they were overall creating an atmosphere of camaraderie and inclusion.
Attitudes play a large role in the music of jazz as a whole, as has become clear, many of the musicians lauded today had eccentric personalities. The ego of the jazz musician is especially well documented in the case of Jelly Roll Morton. With his roots as believing his success was in no way due to Papa Sona, to his elaborate diamonds during the height of his fame. While Morton’s music created a name for himself, his grandiose claims of having invented jazz himself certainly gained him attention and thus acclaim. Decades later Muhammad Ali similarly asserted himself to be the greatest far before he had any evidence to support this claim. For Ali, this claim allowed him opportunities to prove it into existence. With Morton, these claims also grabbed the attention of his audience. Though Morton was already quite established at the time of these claims, his audacity in making such claims would definitely have encouraged jazz fans to give his music another listen, or give him more attention in general. Ali’s poetry shares similarities with jazz in his use of repetition and wordplay, suggesting the two are similar. Rappers of today have continued this trend of self-proclamation, which continues to enthral the audiences.
As “repetition with a twist” is at the essence of jazz, from AAB lyrics to the general formation of music, it makes sense that constant evolution would be present. While any artist would aspire to hone their craft, jazz artists seem to do so in almost a self-competition. With competition so ingrained in the history and culture of jazz, it seems that performers such as Joe “King” Oliver and Sidney Bechet would have little control over how their music was destined to change drastically throughout their careers. As Dr Edmond Souchon recalls the change he noticed as a lifetime follower of Oliver, he notes that “In Chicago Joe Oliver was already on his way out. Instead of realizing the treasure that was his in playing New Orleans music, he was trying to sound like a big white band” (345 Gottlieb). Particularly interesting of this quote is Souchon’s notice of how Oliver’s musical abilities trended downward as he reached higher acclaim. Writing of Oliver’s motivation for such change, Souchon asks, “perhaps it was a desire to ‘improve’ (let’s not use the word ‘progress’”(Gottlieb 345). This distinction in word choice highlights Souchon’s point that although there is a definite “evolve or perish” mindset, the product is not always increasing in quality and authenticity.
A key to jazz’s beauty is the way in which all parts are tied together: of the different parts within the music, of the history, and of the genre as a whole. It is fascinating this truth is able to coexist with the competition inherent in the world of jazz. The competition verges on unhealthy at times, and is fully problematic when leading to Morton’s racism for example. Despite this dark underbelly, this culture and the open mindedness and collaboration grows from it as well. This competition gives rise to the opportunities for growth and collaboration allowing jazz to remain such a cultural phenomenon. Of course, without a bucking contest or invested artists or crowd, the second line would not have existed as it is known today.
Gottlieb, Robert. Reading Jazz: a Gathering of Autobiography, Reportage, and Criticism from 1919 to Now. Vintage Books, 1999.
Lomax, Alan. Mister Jelly Roll. Virgin, 1991.
