The artists of Harlem Renaissance

The pioneer work in the artistic development of jazz was done by the Negro artists.

Jazz is very spontaneous in its playing technique. A lot of Negro musicians from the Harlem Renaissance were often imitated but unfortunately rarely equaled.

The special techniques of the best performers, singers and players at this time are far more than just tricks or mechanicals effects, the artists had a lot of inventive and improvising skills which makes it hard to copy them.

Leopold Stokowski says the following about musicians of the Harlem Renaissance: "They are not hampered by convention or traditions, their constant experiment; they are causing new blood to flow in the veins of music. The Jazz players make their instruments do entirely new things, things finished musicians are taught to avoid. They are pathfinders into new realms".