Improvisation vs. Abstraction: Comparing the effects of the characteristics of jazz in the Harlem Renaissance to that of the Black Arts Movement
The jazz of the Harlem Renaissance and the jazz of the Black Arts Movements are both forms of art dedicated towards the expression of one's true emotions and self. More deeply, jazz from both these eras centered around giving voice to the trauma and pain felt by African Americans as a result of systemic racism all over the course of American history. In this way jazz from all across history shares the theme of love for one’s identity and of defying the traditionally white dominated status quo. But jazz, specifically jazz poetry between these two movements, do differ in some key ways. While it is true that the jazz of the Harlem Renaissance was quite revolutionary for its time due to its groundbreaking improvisational rhythms, it appears far less abstract, or even tame when compared to its counterparts of the Black Arts movement. In effect, the jazz of the Black Arts movement took improvisation to a whole new level, redefining more than just the words, but also the way the poetry an...