Sep 235 min read

The History of Jazz Musicians in Europe

Ready for a history lesson? Today we're going to dive into the origins and comeuppance of jazz musicians in Europe. Enjoy!

Photo taken at the Festival de Cannes | Public domain via National Archives Catalog

Jazz Origins

Before getting into the connection to Europe, it’s important to look at the origins of the genre overall. Jazz origins can be traced back to African slavery in North America. “New Orleans was home to Congo Square, a space where slaves would gather and play music. That tradition started a bit before 1820, and it brought together people from a wide array of countries, each introducing a bit of their nation’s unique sound to the mix” (Source). Building upon these roots, it was after the abolition of slavery and the start of the Reconstruction period that many types of music (interpretations of American and European classical music, entwined with African and slave folk songs and the influences of West African culture) combined to produce a new type of music, initially described as ragtime or syncopated music, and later called jazz.

When looking at the origins of jazz, it’s no surprise that many musicians found success over there. While West Africa with its rhythm and blues sound is a major influence, it also has influences from Europe when it comes to its harmonic chords and use of many different instruments. As early as the 19th century, many black musicians learned to play European instruments, particularly the violin.

Jazz in Europe

The history of jazz in Europe can be traced back to the end of World War I. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded music in 1917 then toured and recorded in Europe in 1919. The interest in jazz led to many American jazz musicians who stayed in Europe for long tours or moved there, enriching the local scenes. While jazz was a uniquely American genre upon its inception, it became popular in Europe through the African American soldiers' regimental bands during World War I. This 19th-century Africanization of popular American music meant the interest in jazz in Europe grew.

While some American jazz records were released in Europe, the actual start of “European jazz” was created thanks to the roots of American artists such as James Reese Europe, Paul Whiteman, and Lonnie Johnson, who visited Europe during and after World War I. “It was their live performances that inspired European audiences' interest in jazz, as well as the interest in all things American (and therefore exotic) which accompanied the economic and political woes of Europe during this time. The beginnings of a distinct European style of jazz began to emerge in this interwar period” (Source).

Getting into the 1920s, jazz became the “soundtrack to musical, choreographic, visual design and literary experiments in Paris, Moscow and Berlin” (Source). In the 1930s, the first European approach to jazz was the Hot Club de France Quintet, led by Belgian-born, French resident Django Reinhardt. We also saw France create a network of hot clubs in the 1930s and one of the first papers specializing in jazz, Jazz Hot. By 1936, jazz had its own label called Swing. When observing why jazz was so popular in Europe, it’s been said that it represented change. Europe, “embraced jazz not only because it was Black American and was considered ‘exotic’, but also because it marked the secession from the older European culture. In parallel, it served the modernism zeitgeist and the avant-garde agenda, with futurism and surrealism aesthetics” (Source).

It’s important to note that while many European countries were receptive to jazz, fascist regimes in places like Germany in the 1930s and 40s looked at jazz with suspicion, which isn’t that surprising given the purist view of the Aryan race as the ultimate race and that jazz has many musicians of color.

After World War II, jazz was viewed in Europe in two opposing blocs. “In the Eastern bloc, it was subjected to political control, regarded with suspicion, and employed as a propaganda tool by the USA. In the Western bloc, the Voice of America Jazz Hour was popular across the whole Communist area,” (Source). The show had around 30 million listeners across the Soviet sphere. It would be negligent to not make it clear that while American musicians helped popularize the genre in Europe, by the 1950s, Europeans made their own variation of it outside of their American counterparts.

Jazz was something to voice opposition in military dictatorships. Meanwhile, in Western democracies, there was a jazz boom, especially by the 1960s. Free jazz became the music of civil rights, pacifist, and student movements in both the US and Europe. Free jazz was also a way for Europeans to further carve out their own sound with more European influences into the genre. Since the 1960s, creative centers of jazz in Europe have developed all over including in Amsterdam, France, and Italy.

Why the Flock to Europe?

American jazz musicians found that when they performed in Europe, they were better respected for their musicianship. Musicians of color had to endure obstacles of racism and segregation when they tried making a living as a musician in the States. Europe became an oasis, a place where black musicians were able to “enjoy social and romantic freedoms denied them by the inherent racism back home” (Source). Depending on the time period, for example, in the 50s and 60s, medical treatment options for African Americans were limited. There were better healthcare options abroad.

In Europe, these jazz musicians are seen as American first instead of Black first. Beyond that, the culture of these European countries held value on different things. Instead of "hustle culture," time was given to just sit with music, and to go at one's own pace. Jazz is used as inspiration outside of music in fields such as writers, poets, painters, and film directors.

The list of jazz legends who made the jump to Europe after being fed up with people not respecting them or their craft due to their skin color includes Don Byas, Kenny Clarke, Dexter Gordon, Oscar Pettiford, and Eric Dolphy. Whether they chose to return to the States depended on the artist. Some planted roots abroad and stayed til their deaths. These jazz emigrants carved out their own spaces all over the continent from France to Italy to Denmark, among many others.

While the reasons why it felt different or better for jazz musicians (and continues to feel that way today) can vary depending on who is asked, songwriter Melody Gardot describes the difference in a way that’s worth highlighting. “The way people think about artists here is different. In the States I think people have a tendency to dig what’s hip as opposed to what’s deep. In France I’ve noticed they celebrate artists 50, 60…even 80 years later, and they love not just the songs, but what they represent, who they are. They treasure the stories” (Source). Legendary saxophonist Dexter Gordon echoed these sentiments saying, “The fact that you're an artist in Europe means something. They treat you with a lot of respect. In America, you know, they say, ‘Do you make any money?’ If you're in the dollars, you're OK, you're all right. But over there, it's an entirely different mentality" (Source).

Conclusion

In 2024, the audience for jazz still goes beyond American soil. While respect for musicians of all races have improved in The United States with time, it’s impossible to deny that the American way of life is geared more toward the corporate side of life and money for the arts continues to dwindle with each passing year. Musicians continue to flock to Europe where art is still revered by the locals and to be an artist is a respected position, whether you’re commercially successful or not. In fact, as of 2020, Europe is, along with Japan, one of the global regions where jazz is the most taught, practiced, and listened to, possibly even ahead of the United States (Source). While there is still a vibrant jazz scene in parts of the U.S., one can also find active scenes still going strong in places such as Paris and Milan. How wonderful it is to see that even after all these years, the yearning for jazz continues, growing beyond its origins, becoming a haven for anyone around the world.