The 1920's surged in with a new found freedom and cultural liberalism, flooding urban African American society. And, Harlem, New York City was the center of this cultural bloom. Harlem was home to some 100,000 Black residents, as a result of the large northern migration of Blacks during WWI. Accordingly, jazz and blues made their way North. Likewise, Black literature, image and identity flowered. The "New Negro Movement" was born.
Music
Jazz was king. It joined the rich and poor and acted as a unifying element of African American culture. Traditionally, jazz bands were made of brass intstruments and were a symbol of the South; however, the new use of the piano, in Harlem, reclassified these bands. A Harlem Stride style of piano play emphasized improvisation, a range of tempos and great leaps between the keys. James P. Johnson is considered the "Father of Stride" with his swinging beats and dynamics. A student of Johnson, Thomas "Fats" Waller was another prominent Stride pianist.
To the right is a demonstration of Johnson and Waller's Stride playing. |
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