"Jazz may have originated in New Orleans in the late 19th century, but New York City is where it expanded-physically, sonically, and culturally. By the 1920s, Harlem had become a national hub, where venues like the Cotton Club and Small's Paradise gave artists like Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Billie Holiday the spotlight and growing audiences. Uptown, jazz was part of a broader cultural movement-the Harlem Renaissance-where music, art, and politics intersected nightly."
"And downtown, starting in the 1940s, the live jazz scene grew more intimate: beneath the low ceilings of Village basements, bebop and avant-garde jazz tore through convention. At the Village Vanguard, Minton's, and later Birdland, musicians like Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis used small rooms and late-night sets to bend the sound-and rules-of jazz entirely. Today, jazz isn't confined to history and lives across boroughs: from the storied rooms of Harlem to the hushes of West Village clubs."
Jazz originated in New Orleans in the late 19th century and expanded in New York City physically, sonically, and culturally. By the 1920s, Harlem became a national hub with venues like the Cotton Club and Small's Paradise showcasing artists such as Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, and Billie Holiday. Uptown jazz intertwined with the Harlem Renaissance, where music, art, and politics converged nightly. Downtown from the 1940s, Village basements fostered intimate bebop and avant-garde performances at venues like the Village Vanguard, Minton's, and Birdland. Today, jazz lives across boroughs in tucked-away clubs with warm acoustics, focused live performance, and strong historical ties.
Read at Conde Nast Traveler
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