Racial and social stratification of New Orleans

Describe the racial and social stratification of New Orleans in the late 1800s and early 1900s. What distinguished Creoles of Color as a unique social class? How did this, and the Plessy vs Ferguson ruling contribute to the emergence of jazz?

• Explain the difference between sweet and hot jazz, identifying at least two specific musical characteristics of each style. How were sweet and hot jazz coded in racial terms, and how did they impact the popularization of jazz during the Jazz Age?

• Explain how Duke Ellington’s approach to composing and arranging differ from that of Fletcher Henderson, and challenged prevailing ideas about big band jazz. Compare/contrast stylistic elements of both composers, identifying at least two specific musical characteristics of each composer’s style.