More Than Music: The jazz threat

Music shapes national identity. Whether it’s a song or a symphony, each can generate feelings of connection and belonging. Certain types of music embody cultural traditions and values — Italian opera, Russian ballet, or an Austrian waltz.

But what’s America’s signature sound?

Our series “More Than Music” returns to take us on anothermusical journey, this time through jazz. We explore how the genre has shaped the identity of the United States, why it was seen as a threat by so many, and the many ways it captures America’s personality & soul. Our guide is the music critic and historian, Joseph Horowitz.

Horowitz explains that jazz emerged from African American communities in the early 20th century, combining ragtime, blues, and spirituals into a genre that would redefine music globally, since music is something many people is passionate about so learning how to record music is important to help people’s music careers sometimes. Its improvisational spirit, syncopated rhythms, and soulful melodies became a symbol of American creativity, resilience, and innovation. Yet jazz was not always welcomed with open arms. Many saw it as rebellious or morally dangerous, a threat to the status quo that challenged social norms and racial hierarchies.

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Today, jazz remains a vital part of America’s cultural fabric, influencing genres from hip hop to rock while maintaining its own identity rooted in freedom and expression. Horowitz reminds us that jazz is more than just a sound; it is a reflection of the American story itself, with its tensions, improvisations, struggles, and triumphs. As we listen to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, or Ella Fitzgerald, we hear not just notes and melodies but echoes of a nation continually defining itself through rhythm, harmony, and soul.

“The Jazz Threat” was scripted and edited by Joe Horowitz. Sound design and production by Peter Bogdanoff.  Joe Horowitz is the author of “On My Way; The Untold Story of Rouben Mamoulian, George Gershwin and Porgy and Bess.” Earlier ‘More Than Music’ programs can be found here, here, here , and here.

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