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Musical, Cultural, and Personal Contexts of Jazz in the Compositions of Harold Arlen

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Musical, Cultural, and Personal Contexts of Jazz in the Compositions of Harold Arlen ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: A BLUE TIN PAN: MUSICAL, CULTURAL, AND PERSONAL CONTEXTS OF JAZZ IN THE COMPOSITIONS OF HAROLD ARLEN Sarah Jean England Doctor of Philosophy Musicology, 2020 Dissertation directed by: Dr. Patrick R. Warfield, Professor, Musicology This dissertation explores the compositions of songwriter Harold Arlen, viewing them as musical portraits of the immigrant experience and the racial politics of the United States in the early part of the twentieth century. This approach reveals how Arlen’s upbringing in a racially diverse neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, where Jewish American immigrants and African Americans formed the core of the community, as well as his early years playing in jazz bands and his tenure at the Cotton Club, left a permanent and indelible mark on his compositional style. I trace the influence of African American popular music on his compositional approach, structure, and style. In doing so, this dissertation adds a more nuanced view to narratives about Jewish American songwriters’ use of jazz and blues in Tin Pan Alley song by demonstrating their specific application in the works of one composer. In addition to musical function, the personal and cultural implication of jazz elements in Arlen’s music are also explored. A BLUE TIN PAN: MUSICAL, CULTURAL, AND PERSONAL CONTEXTS OF JAZZ IN THE COMPOSITIONS OF HAROLD ARLEN by Sarah Jean England, B.M., M.A. Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2020 Advisory Committee: Dr. Patrick Warfield, Chair Dr. Jeffrey Magee Dr. Fernando Rios Dr. Will Robin Dr. Scott Trudell © Copyright by Sarah Jean England 2020 Preface Throughout the writing of this dissertation the world around me has changed dramatically—from turbulent elections to a global pandemic, and most recently an international outcry for racial justice—the broader context of the global society into which this work will now be released is forever changed from when I first set pen to paper. I am acutely aware that this dissertation, which seeks to examine the relationship between white, Jewish American songwriters and African American musical styles, is in a way a microcosm of the complex history of race relations in the United States that are currently at the forefront of national discussions. It is my strong hope that this work, which encourages a re-examination of discourses surrounding Tin Pan Alley and argues for a more inclusive understanding of the role of race both in the sound and history of this music, answers the recent charge of American Musicological Society President, Suzanne G. Cusick, to join together in “thinking, with all the seriousness you can muster, about just what we, as musicians and scholars of music and sound, can do to identify and eliminate the structures of racism in the wider world.”1 I acknowledge that I can still continue to grow as a scholar and will commit my future efforts to creating socially-conscious and culturally informed scholarship. 1 Suzanne G. Cusick, “On the Death of George Floyd: A Letter from the AMS President,” June 3, 2020. ii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my dad, Eugene England, who I know would have loved to see it. iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my thanks to the many faculty mentors, colleagues, friends, and family who have walked with me along the long road of pursuing a graduate degree in music, and particularly those who accompanied me on the final leg of the journey which is represented here in the form of this dissertation. The road has not always been easy and there have been many unexpected twists and turns along the way, none of which could have been navigated without the unwavering support I was so fortunate to receive. I am grateful to my committee members, and especially my advisor, Dr. Patrick Warfield, who has spent many years teaching me to research and write, hopefully well. I also extend thanks to all of my professors at the University of Maryland for striving to bring out the best in me as a scholar through their time and efforts. I am grateful to my parents for encouraging me and to my mother for countless hours of babysitting. But the people who deserve the highest thanks are my boys. To my husband, Dan, I will never find the words (a surprise to us both I imagine) to say thank you for never allowing me to quit. To my sons, Liam and Jacob, who gave me such perspective and joy throughout this process, I hope someday you see this and know that you can accomplish anything if you stay the course. And of course, thank you to Harold Arlen, whose music means so much more to me with each passing day. iv Table of Contents Preface ........................................................................................................................ii Dedication .................................................................................................................. iii Acknowledgements..................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... v List of Tables .............................................................................................................. vii List of Musical Examples............................................................................................ viii INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 Jewish American Songwriters and “The Sounds of Blackness” .................................................... 14 Re-Thinking Tin Pan Alley: Harold Arlen as Case Study ................................................................ 24 Methodology and Organization ............................................................................................... 24 ACT ONE ...................................................................................................................... 29 OVERTURE ................................................................................................................. 30 Boyhood and Buffalo Bands ....................................................................................... 30 The Makings of a Songwriter ........................................................................................................ 32 Race and Place: An Immigrant Family Arrives .......................................................................... 35 Jazz in the Jukebox: The Teenage Performer-Composer ......................................................... 40 The “Distinctive Arlen Touch” ....................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................. 55 Searching for a Sound That Swings: The Early Years at the Cotton Club ........................ 55 On the Cotton Club Stage.............................................................................................................. 58 Finding His Voice ........................................................................................................................... 62 CHAPTER 2 ................................................................................................................. 70 Forecasting the Future: “Stormy Weather,” “Ill Wind,” and the Later Cotton Club Years .................................................................................................................................. 70 “Stormy Weather”......................................................................................................................... 71 Unconventional and Extended Form ....................................................................................... 72 Melodic Development: “Motivicity” ........................................................................................ 77 Harmony ................................................................................................................................... 84 Approach to Vocal Writing ....................................................................................................... 88 Legacy ....................................................................................................................................... 90 Ill Wind .......................................................................................................................................... 96 Unconventional and Extended Form ....................................................................................... 96 Melodic Development: Motivicity .......................................................................................... 101 Vocal Writing .......................................................................................................................... 103 Harmony ................................................................................................................................. 105 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................. 106 INTERLUDE 1 ............................................................................................................ 107 The Americanegro Suite ..........................................................................................
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