User:Student654/sandbox

Jazz
The return of African American soldiers from World War I and the movement North of the Great Migration, both contributed to Harlem's rise as a hive of cultural and artistic activity known as the Harlem Renaissance, which is known as the flowering of music, poetry, and art in the Black community. Jazz was many African American artists way of expressing their feelings of pain, joy, and freedom. Jazz came to Chicago from New Orleans through southern migrants looking for work in the Northern Region, and by the end of the 1920's Chicago had become the major center of the jazz population. Jazz was a genre strongly dominated by men. Although female artists held a strong presence, their achievements were less celebrated. African-American women were not only jazz singers, but also instrumentalists. The piano was one of the first instruments that women played in jazz music, and this ability granted women a great degree of acceptance in the industry. Mary Lou Williams (1910 - 1981), was a popular Pianist, and she is sometimes known as one of America's best known and revered jazz women. Williams gained her first spot light in her home town, Kansas City, where she developed into one of the most "sought after pianists in Kansas City". Williams is said to have influenced the evolution of the "big band" sound, through her composition. It was because of her innovative writing techniques that Williams gained the opportunity to compose for many well known Jazz innovators such as Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. Surprisingly Williams did not move into the New York Area until the early 1940's, it was during this time that a new style "bebop" was emerging, and she easily transitioned into composing music for this sub-genre of Jazz. She later went on to lead various women's music groups, and even founded one of the first Female - owned recording companies.

Blues
The blues came to the North as newly freed African Americans began to migrate from the areas surrounding Mississippi toward the bustling cities for work. Although no specific date is provided for the origin of the Blues, many believe that the roots of the blues generated from the songs of working Black slaves and life on the plantation. . The earliest instances of Blues performances were presented by songsters that would travel throughout the South, but there had yet to be any record presence for Black artists. The 1920s blues, known as the classic blues, was a genre largely popularized by the African-American women. Singers such as Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Alberta Hunter, and Ethel Waters were the most popular, each bringing something new and unique to the stage of American music.[2] Ma Rainey, referred to as the "Mother of the Blues", became popular in the early 1900s. Rainey was the first popular black female stage entertainer to incorporate authentic blues into her song selection. She is known for the “Jump Blues” which incorporated a racy and theatrical style, whereas Bessie Smith, who was known as the "empress of the blues” showcased the classic blues. Mamie Smith became the first black female vocalist to record a blues song .While “Crazy Blues” is cited as the first blues recording, it also represents the emergence of black female singers into popular music culture. Both black and white consumers purchased the record, and record company executives recognized it as a lucrative marketing segment.