That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

Chapter 11
Mass Appeal: Taking Note of
Jazz in Popular Culture
In This Chapter
� Adding the magic of jazz to movies
� Setting stylish fashion trends
� Jazzing up art and literature
� Using hip jazz jargon
� Selling products with jazz
The impact of jazz on American culture is undeniable, though you may not
even realize it. From films and novels, to advertising, fashion, and even
language, aspects of jazz filter out to the masses. In this chapter you look at
the ways in which jazz has permeated pop culture over the past 100 years,
from slang and film, to fiction and fashion. I want to give credit to the music
and the musicians for whatever coolness, hipness, and tastefulness they’ve
imparted to our nation over the years!
On the Silver Screen: Jazz on Film
Until the ’50s, jazz’s role in American films was primarily in the form of cameo
appearances in nightclub and party scenes; early portrayals of jazz musicians
helped sustain negative stereotypes. Jazz players weren’t featured as main
characters, and the music selected was generally mainstream. In the ’50s,
though, films such as Young Man with a Horn began to treat jazz and jazz performers
as legitimate artistic subject matter. In the following sections, find
out how films portrayed jazz and jazz musicians over time.