Round 3: Hammond v. The World

Given that race has always been a discourse in the history of jazz, why did race become explicit in the 1930s—written and talked about in the “Swing Era” as never before?

Despite the fact that it has always been a discourse in the history of jazz, race became explicit in the 1930s because of one man: John Hammond. A product of the popularization of jazz and swing, Hammond was an early jazz critic and manager identified by his contemporaries as the most influential person in the swing industry. (Swing Changes, p. 54) His most important move was discovering Benny Goodman in 1933, at the time a relatively unknown studio musician. This would lead to a sensational musical event that would forever change the world’s then-hesitant appreciation for jazz. Before Hammond and Goodman, the history of blacks playing at Carnegie Hall was almost nonexistent. In 1912, James Reese Europe brought an African American orchestra to the venue for a groundbreaking successful performance, leading to follow-up performances in 1913 and 1914. (Gioia, p. 101) This paved the way for widespread acceptance of the concept of black musicians. It was not until 1938, however, that jazz, then considered the music of Negros, found unanimous acceptance. In that year, Goodman, who by then had made a name for himself as the King of Swing, took the musical world by storm by playing to a ravenous crowd with his mixed-race swing orchestra at Carnegie Hall. (Gioia, p. 138) This marked the beginning of jazz as a high-brow art form. In the intervening years between Goodman’s discovery and his Carnegie Hall performance, Hammond had pushed for the replacement of band personnel with key members such as Jess Stacy, Gene Krupa, Charlie Christian, and Fletcher Henderson. (Swing Changes, p. 55) These latter two being colored musicians, Hammond and Goodman were breaking the status quo of monochrome bands. 

In addition to pushing his own discoveries to pick the best musicians for their bands regardless of race, Hammond himself contributed directly to the explicit nature of the racial discourse. As an outspoken advocate of racial integration, he was considered by some to be “almost exclusively committed to the goal of racial equality.” (Swing Changes, p. 63) He published a pseudonymous series of articles documenting shady and discriminatory practices at the record label group Decca. (Swing Changes, p. 59) Hammond also adamantly asserted that blacks played superior swing, writing many controversial articles including one titled, “Can a Negro Play His Best in a White Band? Goodman Quartet Proves Artistry Can Overcome Prejudice—But Is Idea Good?” (Swing Changes, p. 76) Although other critics were of the belief that race made a difference in the performance of jazz, they were more concerned with the inability of black musicians to generate nearly as much income as their white counterparts, writing articles such as, “Are Colored Bands Doomed as Big Money Makers?” and “Negro Leaders Could Make More Money Running a Rib Joint.” This all culminated in a flourishing environment for racial discourse in the swing era.

I wonder what Hammond would have to say about modern black greats such as A$AP Rocky.