Swing jazz was created by African Americans, and during the Great Depression and the Prohibition era, it was played in speakeasies and brothels. The music made people want to dance, to drink alcohol, and to forget about their problems. Therefore, the older folks who followed traditional views created by society called Swing jazz the “devil’s music."
Once the Prohibition era ended, these places were now legitimate night clubs, and alcohol could be kept in homes, so jazz was brought in to homes as well with the radio. Speakeasies and brothels were no longer needed to listen to jazz, and Swing jazz spread across the United States like a wild fire in a California summer; it was now being played in ballrooms and hotels all over.
African Americans that could play instruments and sing now had the opportunity for a decent job and some respect. Though, now that Swing was popular, they were in a constant competition with Caucasian bands. These Caucasian bands tried to take over the jazz scene; they stole and did covers of music that African American band wrote and played. The crazy aspect of all of this was that African Americans were the ones paved the way for the success of these bands. Benny Goodman, the "King of Swing," would have never been famous if it wasn't for the help of an African American pianist named Fletcher Henderson. In the end, Swing jazz was popular among both races.
Some women went against society’s conventional ideals for women and began working in the jazz industry; it was especially improper for a married woman to work. Most of these women were African Americans; in society’s eyes, the closest way a woman could be working in the jazz industry was teaching it to men. Women like Mary Lou Williams thought it didn’t matter what gender you were to work in the jazz industry; all that mattered was you had to be just as good as a man. As more women began working in the jazz industry, it slowly became common to see women playing instruments or singing. When World War II came, all female groups were singing and playing instruments in the jazz industry.
Swing jazz was one the many different music styles of music spread by African Americans moving up north. African Americans were now starting to be treated better, and women were standing their ground and doing things they wanted to do, even if it meant going against tradition. Swing jazz was the escape from the Great Depression and challenged society’s conventional ideals.
