By Allahna Johnson

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This piece shares the story of a young woman who was influenced heavily by jazz throughout her life and details her understanding of jazz through a Black perspective

I grew up on Jazz
The depth of the trumpets runs through my bones 
The freedom of my people through my bloodstream

Such a liberating sound from those in the shadows 
Harlem doesn't know what’s coming
A certain kind of whimsy from a certain kind of sadness 
And a certain kind of pain worth singing about 

That’s the key to Jazz in NYC 
Have a passion just waiting to come out 

The brown skin on my body matches that of my father's bass
The strings pull straight like my hair on that hot comb 

Between my mother's legs, or by the kitchen sink 
While my father stayed and played like a metronome 

Consistent in his love for Jazz
And consistent in his love for me 

He preached on and on about the rhythms and blues 
And on and on about family 

We sang together in church on Sundays 
And the radio had its own chair at dinner 

We took in the nutrients prepared by my mother 
While my father fed our soul's despair 

With the depth of trumpets pumping my blood
And chilling Harlem with the most desperate cries 

Of the people whose beauty was pushed to the back
And whose music was a way to survive 

On plantations and speakeasies 
Through the ghettos of today 
Rhythms are what keep the rage at bay 
A vessel for the beauty of my people and me 
And in my heart a vessel for my family 

So I grew up on Jazz
And the depth of the trumpets runs through my bones 
The freedom of my people through my bloodstream

Process

This piece was inspired by a one-on-one session with my peer mentor Felecia Facey. We were working on using the information given to us through images and music. The image that particularly inspired this piece was an image of a young Black girl in a car with various Jazz musicians. Ironically enough, we were both inspired to use historical context and culture in our analysis of the image. We both wrote about the Harlem renaissance and the importance Jazz has had in Black livelihood.

Apart from historical content, I also felt inclined to express the value of family in the Black community. We are inclined to lean on each other and to trust each other due to a similar historical upbringing and I wanted to show how that trust is built in the home. The connection between Black people and our ancestors can easily be examined through the lens of music and this piece was simply an ode to Jazz music.