Jazz

During Hollywood’s Golden Age—from the 1930s to the 1950s—jazz didn’t just play in the background. It shaped the mood, style, and swagger of American cinema.

Jazz is alive in modern cinema—shaping stories with its soul, swing, and spontaneity.

Jazz has always danced with mystery—on stage, in the music, and even in its history.

If you’ve ever heard a jazz tune that sounds familiar—but not quite—there’s a good chance it’s a contrafact.

Bebop may have been born in the clubs of New York, but South Carolina musicians were right there in the mix—bringing that fast, fiery, intellectual style home.

Jazz has always been about movement—musically, culturally, and historically. It began with ragtime in the late 1800s, where composers like Scott Joplin laid down syncopated rhythms and structured forms on the piano.

Bassist and vocalist Jim Ferguson began his musical journey in South Carolina, where he started singing in church at the age of four, influenced by his father, who was a church music director.

Guitarist Terry Rosen's impact on the South Carolina music scene is unforgettable.

Another overlooked figure in jazz and blues is singer Bea Foote. Born Beatrice Harrisson in South Carolina on September 3, 1896, she was celebrated for her strong vibrato and straightforward delivery, Foote steered clear of her contemporaries’ melancholic style.

Oscar Lee Mack, another lesser-known jazz musician from South Carolina, was born in Sumter County around 1936.