An Ongoing Dialogue:
Records, Radio, and Tours
The musicians in Charleston gained a lot from people in other cities across the USA. Many of the orphans who stayed at the Jenkins Orphanage ran away to play in bands and gain more experience. They took the knowledge they acquired back to the orphanage when they returned and shared it with the others.
| John Chilton documents Jabbo Smith remembering how techniques learned from tours and times spent north soon embedded themselves in fellow players: | |
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[he] recalled that when Gus Aitken returned, after one bout of freedom, he brought with him the art of flutter-tonguing and growling on the trumpet, he had acquired these skills during his travels; soon, every brass player in Jenkins' was surreptitiously practicing their effects. |
Musicians also learned different musical styles from the many tours that came
to the city of Charleston. While Duke Ellington's
big band toured, Duke would scout for the best local players to take with him
on his next tour.
Of course the media also played a big role in taking information relating to music back to the people in Charleston.
Through newspapers and radio shows they learned of new and upcoming musicians and the styles of music that generated
the most responses form audiences.
| Read more about the power of records and radio.... |
From all of these sources, players in Charleston took ideas and created their own style that would eventually
prosper and help them to succeed when they move into the big cities to play professionally.
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