TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
When people think of Southern jazz, New Orleans often gets the spotlight—but the music’s story stretches far beyond the Crescent City. Cities like Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, Houston, and throughout the Carolinas have long nurtured vibrant jazz communities shaped by church traditions, blues, and regional rhythms.
Southern musicians carried jazz north during the Great Migration, helping shape swing, bebop, and modern jazz. Others stayed home, building local scenes rooted in education, collaboration, and community support. Historically Black colleges and universities played a crucial role, training generations of musicians and keeping jazz alive across the region.
From juke joints to concert halls, Southern jazz has always reflected resilience, storytelling, and deep cultural roots.
This has been Rapp On Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by Layman Publishing Partners, celebrating 50 years of expert content creation, authoritative information management, and standards-driven print and digital production.