Yet, in truth, the old legend is almost certainly correct. (p. 57)

Fellow noted historians such as Marshal Stearns (The Story of Jazz, New York: Oxford University Press, 1956), Martin Williams (The Jazz Tradition, New York: Oxford University Press, 1970), Gunther Schuller (Early Jazz: Its Roots and Musical Development, New York: Oxford University Press, 1968), Ted Gioia (The History of Jazz, New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), Mark Gridley (Jazz Styles: History and Analysis [seventh edition], New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2000 [1978]) and a host of others all agree with Collier’s assessment that indeed New Orleans was the birthplace of jazz. Many, as Collier, cite the probability of other locations for the possible simultaneous synthesis of jazz; yet focus all attention on New Orleans.

These and other historians very strongly support their claims through the oral and written accounts of musicians who were there at the time. Stories of Charles “Buddy” Bolden, William “Bunk” Johnson, Lorenzo Tio, Jr., “Big Eye” Louis Nelson, Freddie Keppard and George Baquet as told by Sidney Bechet, Mutt Carey, Jelly Roll Morton and others are extremely important to the rich lineage and heritage of jazz and should not be taken lightly. These stories do not, however, account for the mentors, peers, and contemporaries who never made it to the pages of these “definitive” texts on jazz.

Many jazz historians begin their diachronical journey citing the significance of cultural areas such as historic congo square and the red-light district - storyville. These places are of great importance, but were not the only sites of the cross-fertilization leading to the evolution of jazz. As blues and ragtime traveled the country, the potential incubators for jazz increased geographically. Historians also focus attention on Creoles who had access to social, political and economic amenities that many blacks or poor whites could not attain. In many texts, Creoles were influential in the evolution of jazz, as they became the transducers of what was formerly known as ragtime and later referred to as jazz. The high population of Creoles, congo square and storyville all point to New Orleans.

Saxophonist, educator and author Nathan Davis in Writings in Jazz, takes the safest route in establishing jazz’s presence in New Orleans,

Although jazz as, we know it, during the New Orleans period (late 1800s – early 1900s) did develop in areas other than in New Orleans, it settled there and “adopted” the city of New Orleans as one of its bases. (p. 56)

Even musician, scholar John Edward Hasse in Jazz: the First Century, admits similarly that,

New Orleans wasn’t the only source of the music in the 1910s. During the middle and late teens, early jazz was emerging in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Kansas City, New York, and Washington D.C. There and elsewhere, musicians were experimenting. They were trying out looser rhythms, exploring syncopation, bending notes, embellishing melodies, varying familiar songs, devising their own “breaks,” and creating their own tunes. (p. 21)

Nevertheless, Hasse conceives six jazz creating conditions that establish New Orleans as the largest locale of “Jazz Beginnings.” Mentioning Fluid cultural boundaries, Active Afro-Caribbean cultural influence, Vital music life, Strong dance tradition, Pervasive “Good Times” atmosphere, and Prevalence of Brass Bands, Hasse references the liberal attitude and nature of New Orleans as a port city. A city that is a major entrance and exit to the rest of the world and similarly a major depository and transmitter of various cultural practices, traditions, customs and most importantly people. Hasse also cites the influx of Caribbean rhythms and cultural practices as another strong progenitor to the creation of jazz in New Orleans. Whether attributing the prevalence of available brass instruments to the European militia bands, or the “Good times” atmosphere to the ability of former slaves to find hope and solace during a hopeless and desolate time, historians such as Hasse, center these conditions in New Orleans.

Theories as Hasse’s are convincing and although they remain the focus of popular belief, they inherently assume a few circumstances that beg of further attention. The first presumption is that because most United States historians spent more time chronicling the events, social and political situations and economic environment of New Orleans during this period, it must have been the most important location of the south. Historians have focused on other areas of the south during the period although most transitions between slavery and the subsequent periods of liberation all come through dialogue of New Orleans. New Orleans, as a port city was an extremely substantial location for the south, but was it the only location where we can trace the evolution of what we call jazz? Better yet, is it the only place where we can trace the cross-fertilization of culture and cultural practices such as music-making?

Hasse raises the important influence that the Caribbean had on jazz, in particular the various aspects of Afro-Caribbean culture. Again, was New Orleans the only location where this influence may have manifested into what we call jazz or influenced another form of music leading to jazz?

Further, was New Orleans the only city boasting a multi-ethnic population or liberal “good time” atmosphere? These characteristics, according to Hasse and other scholars position New Orleans as an incubator for jazz. Yet, weren’t there other multi-ethnic locales with a liberal attitude that may have been just as fertile in birthing jazz?

The two most common reasons most scholars arrive at New Orleans as the birthplace of jazz are: 1) due to the overwhelming number of European militia bands (who accompanied the various national militias to North America) that were prevalent in New Orleans and subsequently provided Blacks with brass instruments and 2) due to the fact that ragtime had become the most popular and common music of New Orleans prior to the evolution of jazz, jazz indeed evolved from ragtime in New Orleans. These two overwhelmingly commonly held beliefs are again extremely logical, believable and somewhat impressionable, yet they beg further question. Was New Orleans the only place in the country with brass instruments, or better yet, was New Orleans the only ragtime capital in the country?

Questions such as these may suggest that perhaps there is no coincidence that all of these characteristics are found in New Orleans and may solidify New Orleans as the official birthplace of jazz. Or, these questions can present the fact that other locales have been neglected as incubators of jazz due to the lack of research, lack of inquiry or the fear of disputing what many hold as “common knowledge.”

Stay tuned for Part II of “Jazz Beginnings” where we will engage many of these questions and present answers to others.

Sources

• Collier, James Lincoln. The Making of Jazz: a Comprehensive History. New York: Dell Publishing, 1978.
• Davis, Nathan T. Writings in Jazz. 5th edition. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/ Hunt Publishing Company, 1996 [1985].
• Hasse, John Edward (editor). Jazz: the First Century. New York: William Morrow, 2000.