Selected observations from the Harlem jazz scene

The Harlem Jazz Scene was prominent throughout the 20th century. Beginning with the Harlem Renaissance, this thesis, “Selected Observations from the Harlem Jazz Scene,” explores how jazz came into prominence in Harlem during the Roaring 1920's. Beginning with the Great Depression, “Selected Observations from the Harlem Jazz Scene” shows how economic and racial tensions culminated into the race riots in 1935 and subsequently in 1943. It explains the reasons and causes for the racial split in the jazz scene that caused white audiences to head to downtown Manhattan. Interviews in “Selected Observations from the Harlem Jazz Scene” explore the ethnographic aspects of the African American jazz scene and provide a fascinating look into what it was like during those times. Finally this thesis discusses the slow but steady decline of jazz in Harlem caused by many interconnected factors including gentrification, racial tension, economics, and technological advances.M.A.Includes bibliographical referencesby Jonah Jonatha