Movement Through Jazz

About a century ago jazz was considered as popular music and was considerably the most influential movement at the time. In 1920, jazz had infected Kansas City and it could be heard on every corner of each street. It began around the early 1900s, when African American musicians congregated in the city of New Orleans. In the town of Storyville, musicians would share and improvise their music. Eventually, some musicians would leave New Orleans to share the “New Orleans music.” By the 1920s, after jazz had entered the vocabulary in 1917, indie music companies began recording jazz

Jazz is the world - famous music genre that originated from the African - American communities that existed during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the town of New Orleans, United States. The genre of jazz has many subgenres which have evolved over time to give us current modern day jazz. The two jazz genres which will be compared and contrasted in this essay will be the two subgenres; Bebop, and Ragtime Jazz, which differ but at the same time have some similarities.

Jazz, an American music form, whose roots lay in African expression, made history. Such greats are remembered today from the Jazz age and among them are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Fletcher Henderson. The talented George Gershwin, Cole Porter and many others brought the influence of jazz to the concert halls and to Broadway. Bessie Smith familiarized Americans with the Blues sound recording.

Picture this: the year is 1926 and you are walking down the street in downtown Chicago. You pass a crowded club, where you hear the upbeat and speedy rhythms of music pouring out. The sound consumes you, fills you with joy, and persuades you to dance. You walk into the club to find numerous people swinging and tossing themselves around each other, enjoying the fast-paced and boisterous music. This is the appearance of jazz music, and in the early 20th century, jazz music swept the nation. With artists like Jelly Roll Morton, Joe King Oliver, Sidney Bichet , Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, jazz filled the souls of Americans, promoting a free and fun lifestyle. Although these artists had different beginnings,

In the middle of the 19th century, Congo Square became a center of musical expression. On these Sunday afternoons, a new form of music was born. Pioneered by those on the bottom of a society full of slavery and segregation, the origin of jazz was less a singular event than an evolving movement. None of those pioneers, however, could have anticipated the future of their developing art form. None could have foreseen that their informal rhythmic gatherings would eventually lead to nationally recognized big bands with more than 20 musicians and celebrity band leaders. The trajectory of jazz history is complex and rich, flowing from style to style and from region to region. Each step along the way from the early brass bands to the bebop bands

African Americans contributed highly in the music genre rock-and-roll, which is something people don’t really discuss. Rock and roll was highly influenced by the Blues, from rhythm and instruments. One African-American Blues singer, Muddy Waters was one Blues singer that influenced rock and roll, he changed the sound of his music which gave it a rock and roll sound as we know it today. Many believe Elvis was the first to sing Rock and Roll but Joe Turner’s song “Shake, rattle and Roll” (1951) sounds much like rock and roll and not Blues. This is ignored by many because of the racism in society, especially at that time. Many Black artists were not acknowledge even after they passed away and white male artists were

Jazz is a music genre that has complex characteristics and history of development and thus many musicians and scholars face troubles in defining what jazz is. In general, jazz is believed to have born in New Orleans. Jazz developed for the pleasure of the social dancers. According to the “Understanding Jazz: What Is Jazz?” of John F. Kennedy center for the Performing Arts, Jazz was created mainly by Afro-Americans, and had elements of European and Afro-American culture. Also, it emphasizes few elements of Jazz, which are swing-feel, syncopation, and improvisation. These different culture and elements of jazz may be explained by how jazz

“The essence of jazz- making something new out of something old, making something personal out of something shared- has no finer exemplar than Armstrong.” (Hasse par. 3) During the 1920’s a young African American man, otherwise known as Louis Armstrong, helped create and represent a new twist on popular music. This music that became so famous and well loved today is also referred to as jazz. Louis Armstrong had a very successful jazz career performing and composing popular jazz hits in the 1920’s.

It was one of the vibrant visual arts of Harlem. Brown stated,”For African Americans, it was a time when black pride was a new, thrilling sensation-- and was even, as one scholar has put it, ‘the rebirth of a people’” (Brown 2014). Although Jazz mostly started in Harlem, it spread throughout the whole United States. Louis Armstrong was one of the greatest Jazz musicians of the Harlem Renaissance era. In fact, Shriver calls Armstrong, “...a self-made man born into poverty and raised in a segregated society”(Shriver 2009). He set high standards for skill and passion in music (Shriver 2009), and was looked up to by other popular Jazz musicians.

Jazz was originated by African Americans it is a genre of music that uses mainly brass, woodwind, and piano. It became popular in the 20th century during the Harlem Renaissance where many famous jazz artists arose. Louis Armstrong was one of the most well known jazz artist of his time. Louis Armstrong was a trumpeter, bandleader, singer, soloist, film star, and comedian. He was considered one of the most influential artists in jazz history. Louis Armstrong was a famous musician during the Harlem renaissance because of his skills with a trumpet.

Jazz is a genre of music that originated in African American communities in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th century. The Jazz Era was a big deal throughout 1915 to 1935. Jazz was brought up in many different ways. There was many jazz artist who contributed to the era such as Jelly Roll Morton, Joe King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. As the jazz era ended, some artists struggled and some continued on with fortune and fame.

Jazz is consider one of the most influential types of music an America History. Some of the greatest artist in the world have contribute to the success jazz have had not only on America History but throughout the world. This paper will explain the history of jazz, where it all came from and the effect it has had on the America Culture.

1. Louis Armstrong is credited in the book titled Jazz as the “single most important figure in the development of jazz.” He is known as the only major figure in Western musical history to have a profound influence as a singer and an instrumentalist. His defining qualities as a performer were the emotion, beauty, and technical mastery he brought to each performance, and he knew how to please an audience. Performing jazz was a personal and powerful experience to him, and it was communicated effectively to his audience. Duke Ellington is quoted as calling him a “truly good and original man,” and his contributions to jazz music reflect that statement.

Through an analysis of the Harlem Renaissance, the Depression, and World War II, I will discuss the influence politics has had on the production of Jazz and also how politics shapes

Famous jazz saxophonist and educator Ahmad Alaadeen once said “Jazz does not belong to one race or culture, but is a gift that America has given the world.” Jazz is a style of music that everyone knows and loves. It is a style that’s both smooth and sharp, a style that created words such as “cool” and “nice”. A style who has roots as old as time, and helps shape music we love and here today. Jazz draws form styles such as blues, folk, marches, ragtime. From contributors such as Scott Joplin, Charles “Buddy” Bolder, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong. To more modern contributors such as John Pizzarelli, Tom Waits and Elvis Costello. These are only a few modern Jazz performers who help shape the genre jazz we all love. But what is it about jazz that makes people like it and what are its origins. Jazz music has life and has evolved from slave folk songs and spirituals.