Jazz music is a genre that originated in New Orleans but this musical genre played an important part in the birth and development of the Harlem Renaissance during the 1930s. The Harlem Renaissance is a cultural movement that includes literature, art, music and other medium besides playing a significant part in the development of a Black identity.
Jazz had a huge influence on other art forms that were central to the Harlem Renaissance. The structures used in jazz are looser than in other musical forms and it is common for musicians to improvise and stray from these structures. The same approach can be seen in paintings, poetry and other forms of art of the Harlem Renaissance. The poems written by Langston Hughes are a good example of this practice as words and sentences seem to be juxtaposed to create new poetic forms.
Jazz played an important part from a social point of view. People would gather to hear live music, usually from jazz bands. The Harlem Renaissance wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for intellectuals and artists spending time together, sharing ideas and collaborating together. Jazz music contributed to the development of a vibrant and creative atmosphere in Harlem.
Jazz definitely drew attention to African-America artists during the Harlem Renaissance. Jazz quickly became a very popular musical genre across the entire country and even on an international level. It is likely that artists from Harlem who wrote or painted might not have received as much attention if jazz wasn’t such as a popular musical genre at the time.
The Harlem Renaissance cannot be studied and understood without taking the cultural impact of jazz into account. There are many interesting parallels between this musical form and with the many works of art created during the Harlem Renaissance.