Rachel Azbell the Feminist Movement in Jazz Intro to Listening

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Rachel Azbell

Professor Zilincik

Intro to Listening

10 October 2015

They Cant Take That A!ay "ro# $e% The "e#inist $o&e#ent in 'azz

“Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love

and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong.” ()lla "itzgeral*

This +,ote- by one of the #ost .ro#inent /azz #,sicians of all ti#e- can be

a..lie* to the #in*set of e&ery !o#an in /azz fro# 10s to the 10s3 4,ring this

ti#e- /azz !as !ell on its !ay to beco#ing a .o.,lar genre in #,sic3 At the sa#e ti#e-

#any social iss,es !ere rising- incl,*ing the fight for e+,ality for both !o#en an*

AfricanA#ericans3 The social circ,#stances *,ring this ti#e .erio* ca,se* !o#en to

ha&e an e6tre#ely har* ti#e creating an* #aintaining s,ccessf,l careers in the

.rofessional /azz !orl*3 7eca,se of these har*shi.s- there !ere se&eral 8rebels-9 or no!

consi*ere* 8fe#inists9 in /azz #,sic !ho broke the social #ol* #a*e for the# to follo!

their .assion- an* #a*e their #ark in the history of /azz in A#erica3

7efore *i&ing into the !o#en of /azz- it is i#.ortant to first e6.lain the

,.bringing of /azz in A#erica3 The birth of /azz is a s,b/ect of #,ch o.inion an*

contro&ersy3 In the 120s- /azz #,sic !as tho,ght to be 8!hite *ance #,sic9 :;erar* 1< 3

7,t as ti#e .asse*- it !as clear that /azz !as not /,st 8!hite .eo.les9 #,sic3 The nee*

for social labels in A#erica *,ring this ti#e le* to a *iscre.ancy that contin,es to*ay% Is

/azz black #,sic or !hite #,sic= The ans!er is si#.le3 R,by 7raff- once sai* 8/azz is an

A#erican .ro*,ct #a*e ,. by all .eo.le in this co,ntry>it /,st so ha..ens that great

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.ioneers of /azz- an* i#.ro&ise* #,sic !ere black .eo.le>9 :;erar* 2< 3 Altho,gh

#,ch of the style of /azz is *eri&e* fro# the 8#,sical tra*itions of Africa- ),ro.e an* the

Caribbean-9 :Pointillistically ?,bli#e< it is only beca,se the #ost !ellkno!n /azz artists

ha..en to be African A#ericans Lo,is Ar#strong- Co,nt 7asie- 4,ke )llington- etc3

that /azz is consi*ere* to be the #,sic of African A#ericans3 'azz #,sic- in itself- is a

rebel in #,sic- beca,se it *oesnt fit in to social #ol*s#,ch like the #,sicians !ho .lay

it3 Therefore- /azz #,sic has no one creator- b,t rather- contin,es to be reborn by e&ery

#,sician !ho .lays it3

As /azz #,sic began to beco#e .o.,lar in the @nite* ?tates in the 150s- se&eral

e&ents ha* alrea*y occ,rre* or !ere on the brink of occ,rring3 These e&ents !ere orl*

ar I- the ;reat 4e.ression- an* orl* ar II3 As state* in Pointillistically ?,bli#e- 8it

is better to not look at each e&ent in*i&i*,ally- b,t rather analyze the res,lt of all e&ents

co#bine*39 All e&ents co#bine* create* 8societal nor#s9 :Pointillistically ?,bli#e<

#eaning- gen*er roles an* stereoty.es that both #en an* !o#en !ere e6.ecte* to

follo!3 Bot only this- b,t !o#en at this ti#e ha* little rights- e*,cation or econo#ic

stability3 These con*itions of li&ing in !hich !o#en li&e* are !hat ,lti#ately

*isco,rage* #any fro# .,rs,ing .rofessions an* hobbies o,tsi*e of the role of the

ho,se!ifeincl,*ing #,sic3 "or those !ho *i* choose to .,rs,e #,sic regar*less- the

.ath !as not easy ,lti#ately beca,se they !ere rebelling against society3 These 8rebels9

ha* no one na#e- face or instr,#ent3 hat they ha* instea* !as a fight !ithin the# to

seek o,t their .assion no #atter the cost3

'azz instr,#entalists- belie&e it or not- !ere treate* an* *iscri#inate* against in a

co#.letely *ifferent !ay than /azz &ocalists !ere- e&en tho,gh both are closely relate*3 A

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!o#an .laying a #,sical instr,#ent at all !as seen as highly ina..ro.riate an* !as

*isco,rage* at all costs3 4es.ite this- there !ere #any fe#ale #,sicians !ho .laye*

.rofessionally3 One of these !o#en !as $ary Lo, illia#s3 $ary is .erha.s one of the

biggest fe#ale /azz #,sicians of her ti#e- *es.ite the se6ist en&iron#ent in !hich she

!orke* in3 Accor*ing to Pointillistically ?,bli#e- she ha* 8no for#al e*,cation9 an*

8co,l* not rea* #,sic39 ?he *i*- ho!e&erha&e a goo* ear- an* .icke* ,. the instr,#ent

of .iano by ear3 4es.ite the nat,ral ability she ha*- it !asnt ,ntil she fille* in for a #ale

.ianist at a gig that her talent !as tr,ly recognize*3 $ary Lo, illia#s !ent on to be a

8co#.oser- arranger- .ianist- an* /azz inno&ator9 in her 0 yearlong #,sic career

:Pointillistically ?,bli#e< 3 This is /,st one e6a#.le of the co,ntless a#o,nt of !o#en

!ho !ere instr,#entalists at this ti#e !ho !ere force* to be in the backgro,n* beca,se

of their #ale co,nter.arts3

The treat#ent of fe#ale &ocalists *,ring this ti#e !as co#.letely *ifferent than

that of instr,#entalists3 a&ing a fe#ale &ocalist *,ring the big ban* era !as al#ost

8#an*atory9 beca,se it 8strengthene* the gro,.s co##ercial a..eal9 :4ahl 122< 3 7eing

a fe#ale &ocalist *,ring this ti#e *i*nt lea* to better treat#ent- it si#.ly le* to a

*ifferent kin* of #istreat#ent3 There !as- an* contin,es to be an ,ns.oken stan*ar* for

the a..earance of a !o#an in the #e*ia to be fla!less an* al#ost al!ays se6,ally

a..ealing3 The &ocalist !as s,..ose* to be the 8&is,al an* e#otional link9 bet!een the

a,*ience an* the #,sicians- therefore- her a..earance !as 8 at least as i#.ortant as her

singing- if not #ore so9 :4ahl 122< 3 The fe#ale &ocalist !as the 8cheerlea*er !ho stoo*

s,..orti&ely an* *ecorati&ely on the si*elines9 :4ahl 122< 3 This ob/ectification of

!o#en began the rise of fe#inist i*eals in /azz singers3 "or one &ocalist- 7illie oli*ay-

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fe#inis# !as the i*eology that she centere* her song re.ertoire on3 7illie sang songs of

ro#ance an* senti#ental lo&e an* con&erte* the# into a satirical call for social refor#3

?he !as kno!n for .erfor#ing these songs in s,ch a !ay that !as s,btlety #ocking3

Accor*ing to 87l,e Legacies an* 7lack "e#inis#-9 the song “My Man” !as a song that

7illie !as fa#o,s for3 This song is abo,t a relationshi. !here the !o#en stays !ith her

.artner thro,gh thick an* thin3 The last lyric is 8hats the *ifference if I say Ill go

a!ay3 hen I kno! Ill co#e back on #y knees so#e*ay3 "or !hate&er #y #an is- I a#

his fore&er#ore39 7illie !o,l* sing this in an al#ost cynical #anner- !ith a 8literal

inter.retation9 of #ale *o#inance :4a&is 1DE< 3 7y taking these songs of light to.ics an*

transfor#ing the# co#.letely !ith the .o!er of inter.retation- 7illie beca#e an

a*&ocate for #,lti.le iss,es- incl,*ing e+,ality for !o#en3

)&en the #ost reno!ne* fe#ale .erfor#ers of the big ban* era face* *i&ersities

!hile beginning their career beca,se of their gen*er3 One of these .erfor#ers !as /azz

.heno#enon- )lla "itzgeral*3 7an* lea*er Chick ebb once *enie* yo,ng )lla

"itzgeral* a s.ot in his big ban* beca,se of her a..earance- saying 8yo,re not .,tting

that on #y ban*stan*9 :Bicholson 5<- an* later stating- 8shes a big girl- an* kne!

nothing !hatsoe&er abo,t ho! to *ress or talk to strangers>9 :Bicholson < 3 4es.ite

the ref,sal to .,t her in the big ban*- Chick e&ent,ally ga&e into the o.inions of his

fello! ban* #ates an* ga&e her the s.ot in his big ban*3 It !as ,nkno!n at this ti#e that

)lla "itzgeral* !o,l* later beco#e one of the biggest na#es in /azz3 To*ay- the *ecision

to al#ost *eny )lla "itzgeral* a &ocalist s.ot beca,se of a..earance !o,l* be &ie!e* as

la,ghable3 7,t the reality is that the /,*ging- stereoty.es an* ob/ectification of !o#en

al#ost ke.t )lla "itzgeral* fro# getting a start in her #,sic career3 o! #any artists

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ne&er shine* in this ti#e beca,se of a..earance base* /,*ging= An* f,rther#ore- ho!

#any artists to*ay *ont shine beca,se of this=

Altho,gh e+,ality for !o#en in the !orkforce has i#.ro&e*- it still is not !here

it nee*s to be3 Ob/ectification an* se6,al a..eal in fe#ale .erfor#ers is .erha.s !orse

to*ay than the 150s3 "or a fe#ale .erfor#er to be 8#ainstrea#9 #,sic- she #,st sell

herself in a co#.letely *ifferent !ay than #ale .erfor#ers3 It is all abo,t the !ay she

looks- !hat she is !earing- an* ho! re&ealing she is in her #,sic3 This concl,sion can be

*ra!n .,rely by looking at the alb,# co&ers on the .o. charts- or si#.ly by researching

the to. fe#ale .o. artists- s,ch as Bicki $ina/- 7eyoncG- Rihanna- an* se&eral #ore3 The

ob/ectification of !o#en goes f,rther than /,st .o. c,lt,re3 This iss,e is seen in e&ery

as.ect of society- b,t I !ill foc,s on .erfor#ing arts beca,se it is the #ost .ertinent to

#y career goal3

A bit of a*&ice that !as constantly *rille* in #y #in* *,ring ele#entary school

an* at #y ho#e is to not 8/,*ge a book by its co&er39 As I&e gro!n ,. an* fo,n* #y

.assion in #,sic an* theatre- I ha&e co#e to the realization that 8/,*ging a book by its

co&er9- or rather- /,*ging a .erson .ri#arily by their a..earance- ha..ens constantly3 It

ha..ens #ost often in the .erfor#ing arts- !hether it !ill be #,sic- theater- fil#- or

*ance- an* #ost often in the a,*ition roo#3 Perha.s this is h,#an nat,re- an* it is only

nat,ral to initially /,*ge so#ething or so#eone on the i##e*iate i#.ression of

a..earanceH or #aybe that is /,st the e6c,se that society !ill ,se to *isregar* the reality

of the iss,e3 It takes #ini#al research to re&eal the tr,th of the in*,stry in !hich I !o,l*

like to ha&e a career in3 7,t it *oes not /,st rest on the sho,l*ers of !o#en to be

a*&ocates for change3 In or*er to change an entire society that is in a r,t of se6is# an*

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ob/ectification- !e #,st co#e together as one- an* !ork to!ar*s a c,lt,re that /,*ges on

!hat is, not !hat a..ears to beH an* to!ar*s an in*,stry !here an artist is celebrate* an*

glorifie* beca,se of their craftnot beca,se of ho! high her he#line is at an a!ar*s sho!3

The fe#ale &ocalists an* instr,#entalists of the big ban* era left an ,n*eniable

an* ,nforgettable i#.rint on the in*,stryH not /,st for their talent- b,t beca,se they !ere

!illing to fight for e+,al treat#ent an* o..ort,nity in the !orkforce3 It is beca,se of

the#- an* all the other !o#en of that ti#e that fe#ale .erfor#ers are !here they are in

the in*,stry to*ay3 hat they acco#.lishe* in their ti#e isnt the en* of this iss,e- b,t

rather the beginning3 Artists s,ch as 7illie oli*ay an* $ary Lo, illia#s #ay ha&e

been the .ioneers of fe#inis# in /azz- b,t #yself an* co,ntless others !ill be the

inno&ators !ho !ill contin,e to go against societal nor#s in the .,rs,it of e+,ality in the

.erfor#ing arts an* society as a !hole3

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orks Cite*

Crossfiel*- Leita3 Pointillistically ?,bli#e3 eb log .ost3 Pointillistically Suli!e3

B3.3- E Oct3 20123 eb3 20 ?e.t3 20153

4ahl- Lin*a3 Cha.ter D% The Canaries Stor!y Weather" #he Music and $ives o% a

&entury o% Jawo!en3 Be! Jork% Li#elight )*itions- 123 B3 .ag3 Print3

4a&is- Angela J3 (lue $egacies and (lack )e!inis!3 Be! Jork% Pantheon- 1E3 Print3

;erar*- Charley3 Ja in (lack and White" *ace, &ulture, and Identity in the Ja

&o!!unity3 est.ort- CT% ;reen!oo*- 1E3 Print3

Bicholson- ?t,art3 +lla )itgerald" #he &o!plete (iography3 Be! Jork% Ro,tle*ge-

200F3 Print3

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Rachel Azbell the Feminist Movement in Jazz Intro to Listening

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