The 1920s was a decade of profound social changes. The most obvious signs of change were the rise of a consumer-oriented economy and of mass entertainment, which helped to bring about a “revolution in morals and manners.” Sexual mores, gender roles, hair styles, and dress all changed profoundly during the 1920s. Americans regarded these changes as liberation from the country’s Victorian past. But for others, morals seemed to be decaying, and the United States seemed to be changing in undesirable ways. The result was a thinly veiled “cultural civil war.”
For years, jazz images have been presented in Black and White, because the photographic methods of the early jazz years were black and white, but this also confers those images an archaic taste and feeling. Then, the most colorful era brought to America and later one Europe a more colored style, taste for fashion and music.
This movement involved a blend of elements from “high culture” – the novels of F. Scott Fitzgerald, the paintings of Pablo Picasso, the plays of Eugene O’Neill – and from popular culture, particularly styles of music, dance, and speech modeled on black American prototypes. The idea of the jazz age was promoted by the mass media, especially by Hollywood.
Stunning images are carefully stored up to nowadays. Images representing short hair, short skirts, flappers, bobbed hair styles, baggy dresses, colored suits, antique lace collars, T-strap shoes and, of course, new straw hats continue to impress nowadays a lot of people.
Jazz era constituted a source of inspiration for the fashion followers. There was an explosion of unrestrained creativity and a new optimism. The influences of American Jazz also influenced the way of thinking, costumes and sets designed by the greatest artists. They all showed a freedom and sensuality never before seen, images of short hair, sexy lingerie and strong attitude where showed everywhere.
By: Johnh Thompson
The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame is located in the historic Carver Theater on 4th Avenue Business District in Birmingham, Alabama. The museum is in the Civil Rights District at 1631 4th Avenue North, in Birmingham, Alabama. Admission is free, and the hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday.
The Carver Theatre is a popular spot for local jazz artists. They have been host to jazz legends like Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. The Carver Theatre is open to the very best in entertainment that includes anything from theatrical performances to jazz jam sessions to swing dance classes.
The Carver Theatre for the Performing Arts was built in 1935. The present theatre includes 1,300 of the latest model theatre chairs and the newest development in air conditioning, sound, and projection. It was also one of several theatres in the Fourth Avenue area that offers first-run movies to African-Americans.
In 1990, the City of Birmingham began renovation of the Carver Theatre as a performing arts theatre and the new home of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame and museum. It now operates as a non-profit, multi-use community theatre, which is open for bookings by local and national groups.
The art-deco museum is a place for entertainment as well as honoring great jazz artists with ties to the state of Alabama. Exhibits of accomplished jazz artists include:
o Nat King Cole
o Duke Ellington
o Lionel Hampton
o Erskine Hawkins
Visitors of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame travel from the beginnings of boogie woogie with Clarence “Pinetop” Smith to the jazz space journeys of Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Space Orchestra.
If you add the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame to your vacations ideas and become a visitor you will have a chance to get lost in Alabama’s rich jazz heritage. There are more than 2,200-square-feet of exhibits.
What you will see as parts of these vacation ideas include:
o Priceless jazz memorabilia: Paintings, quilts, instruments and the personal effects of artists like Ella Fitzgerald and W.C. Handy
The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame welcomes tour groups of any size. Their hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Guided Tours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and on Saturday after 1:00 p.m. The Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame is closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is $2 per person for the self-guided tour and $3 per person for a guided tour.
If you bring a large tour group, look forward to both a tour and a showing of “Jazz in the Magic City.” “Jazz in the City” is a jazz documentary outlining the Jazz progression in Birmingham, Alabama.
For more information about the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame tours call 205-254-2731. You might want to add this to your vacation ideas as well.
Who does the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame honor? Inductees include:
o Performers
o Promoters
o Music publishing and recording leaders
o Broadcasters and others have had a significant impact on jazz music.
o Inductees into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame must also have been born in the state of Alabama or spent a considerable amount of time in Alabama developing, producing and influencing jazz.
If you are a lover of jazz music, you might want to add the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame to your list of vacation ideas.
Source: Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in Birmingham, Alabama
Important Disclaimer: The URL address in the resource box of this article is not associated with the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. This article and the web site is a resource to help you formulate vacation ideas.
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Sleepwalk is the latest release from Jazz Sensation Larry Carlton, and is another winner from this talented musician.
It’s a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I’m more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply isn’t a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it’s own.
Sleepwalk is a pleasantly varied, mix of 8 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly outstanding artist. With many of the songs displaying a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are him own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions like love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They’re all here.
Listen to this CD and I believe you’ll find there’s not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and Larry Carlton is clearly in top form. So much so that if you’re even mildly into Jazz music you’ll enjoy this album.
While this entire album is outstanding the truly standout tunes are track 3 – Song For Kate, track 4 – Frenchman’s Flat, and track 8 – You Gotta Get It While You Can.
My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 7 – 10:00 P.M.. This is a great track!
Sleepwalk Release Notes:
Larry Carlton originally released Sleepwalk on October 25, 1990 on the MCA Jazz label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. Last Nite
2. Blues Bird
3. Song For Katie
4. Frenchman’s Flat
5. Sleepwalk
6. Upper Kern
7. 10:00 P. M.
8. You Gotta Get It While You Can
By: Clyde Lee Dennis