The Creoles, in much the same manner as the house Negroeson plantations in other areas, adopted as much of the French cultureas they could and turned their backs on the “darker” culture of theirhalf-brothers. It is safe to assume, for instance, that there were noblack Creoles dancing in Congo Square.”
Did the Creoles think they stood at a higher position than their “half brother”?
Moreover, given the present ten-dencies to anoint jazz as “America’s classical music” and its practition-ers as “treasured artists,” it might be useful to recall that these lofty un-derstandings developed only recently (and not just in the mainstreamwhite community).
I find it interesting how when jazz first came about, there was a negative connotation behind it and was not respected like other genres of music. Im curious to know what shifted the level of respect, for it to now be considered “Americas classical music” and for its artists to be “treasured”.