What Is Jazz Music?

Throughout several years, numerous genres of music have been created and evolved, such as contemporary, country, pop, and more. One genre, in particular, has greatly influenced the world and still remains popular today. This renowned genre is jazz. Although jazz originated in the late 19th and early 20th century, the genre has continued to develop and influence other aspects of music. With its beginnings in African American communities, jazz features several distinguishing components and defining qualities. Along with jazz’s many influences and unique features, the genre also includes a variety of leading musicians.

Jazz can be seen as a personal language communicated by musicians and fuelled by his or her individual dreams, passions, emotions and desire. Jazz emerged in the United States during the early 1900s in New Orleans. Jazz music was influenced by the music of African slaves who were taken from Africa to work in the plantations of the southern United State. This is when they began creating different types of jazz styles such as Swing and Cool jazz which have both similarities and differences.

     The music called Jazz was born sometime around 1895 in New Orleans. It combined elements of Ragtime, marching band music and Blues. What made Jazz such a different perspective of traditional music was its act of improvising. There was a widespread use of improvisation often by more than one player at a time. Songwriters would write the music down on a piece of paper, and then the Jazz musicians would try their best to play the music. Usually in a Jazz piece, musicians would use the song as a starting point to improvise around. Jazz musicians would play a familiar song to the audience, and by the time they were done with the piece they would stir up a totally different feeling away from the

Jazz has always been a part of the American tradition. Some may say they like Jazz for its rhythmic twist and turns. Others may love the soothing melodies from an improved Trumpet solo. All in all, Jazz has been an American staple and has molded today’s popular music, into what it is today. It’s very different from classical music, which is written out and strict. Jazz is much more. It’s made up of spontaneity and improvisation, which makes up an idea on the spot. There are many wide varieties in Jazz. There is Bebop Jazz, Avante Garde Jazz, Acid Jazz, Free Funk Jazz, Soul Jazz, Swing Jazz, and many, many more! These forms of Jazz can be seen and heard in some of your favorite music of Today. It’s been widely used by the world. There is an important reason as to why this genre contributes to the growing of music. We first take a look into the root of all Jazz. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the country of Africa was the first known country to use rhythm primarily for the element of musical expression, and ensembles composed entirely of percussion instruments created extended polyrhythmic works. These polyrhythms, which means the “layering of multiple rhythms.”, were record in Western music. African music did not use paper, or sheet music. Instead, they relied on Aural rituals, learned by ear and also used” spontaneity, which is later said to be known as improvisation”. In Africa, most of the music that was expressed was for religious

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

Jazz is first seen in America in the early 20th century, in one of the most diverse and unusual cities of the time, New Orleans. It’s roots however can be traced back all the way to African and European music. It’s rhythm and “blues” quality is seen in African music, as well jazz’s tradition of playing an instrument in your

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.

Until the past year or so, I considered jazz to be an out dated style of music that only elderly folks enjoyed listening to in their retirement homes. However, jazz has immense influence from the cultural integrations that took place during the early days of America. Cultural influences such as religion, politics, race, socioeconomic status, and musical ideologies from both the Americans and the Africans meshed together which formed the genre of jazz that I personally love and enjoy. These cultural influences played a major role in shaping jazz into a specific art form/genre. Before, during, and after America declared independence from Britain many African slaves were introduced into this new land through means of the middle passage.

Adriana Trevino MUFHL 315 October 2, 2014 Jazz Roots: The Creation of Jazz Louis Armstrong said “Jazz is only what ya are” (Deveaux, Giddins 106). During the nineteenth century, African American people faced many obstacles and coped through activities such as singing, and musical skills. Especially in New Orleans, a port city where people were either black (or colored creole a mixed African and Spanish or African and French descent) or white. Jazz is a mixture of many diverse components, and genres like polyrhythmic African American folk music. Over the years jazz has been played by every color of people, every gender and age but still remains an African American based genre.

Jazz and the culture surrounding its history has evolved into one of the worlds most widely known art forms and eras of American music. It is distinguished by its variety of musical characteristics; as well as its evolution in New Orleans, its early performers, the instruments that make it, where it was performed, and the infusion of African and European musical elements. This paper will examine the origins of this unique musical identity along with its characteristics and the cultural history surrounding it.

Jazz music as we know it today has evolved since the early twentieth century. Its’ evolution is due to the influence of many different players who have added their own styles, interpretations and techniques. Two masters of Jazz who have been a big influence on the music are cornet and trumpet player, Louis Armstrong, and piano player, band leader and arranger, Duke Ellington. Each came from different socio-economic and geographical backgrounds, but both became masters of their trade, reached worldwide fame and became legends of the music.

Jazz is a form of music that originated in the United States during the early 1900s. It was a form of music that influenced generations, started the music careers of many great musicians, and its ties are in the melting pot of New Orleans. Jazz has a variety of styles to listen to and also has many diverse musicians to experience these diverse sounds from. Jazz is a great form of music. Its different styles and musicians give it diversity, while strengthening ties to the African American community.

Different cultural elements were combined to create jazz. These elements include the different ethnic groups and different types of music. “New Orleans were awash in blues music, ragtime and the native brass-­‐band fanfares.”

Throughout history, jazz started to become very well known among diverse groups of individuals Jazz began developing in New Orleans and thoroughly established at the beginning of the 1920s. A plethora amount of slaves were Africans when imported into the new world which was New Orleans. However, they were not allowed to bring their musical instruments. Indeed, they didn’t leave behind their musical tastes and rhythmic sensibilities. There was an area in New Orleans where slaves would unite to make music, practice their religious beliefs, and communicate which was known as Congo Square. African slaves would add their taste in jazz changing European Church Hymns, folk songs, and dance music. In effect, causing the blending of African aspects

Jazz might just be the most unique genre of music in the world. Pairing true artistry and creativity with immense technicality and skill creates music that is simply incomparable. Originating from the African-American communities of New Orleans in the 1910’s, jazz was a fresh new creation heavily predominated by African-Americans. Early forms featured brass-bands playing a ragtime and swing style of music, with improvisation, and unique and syncopated rhythm and blues. Within music, syncopated means offbeat rhythm. While not popular at first, this early form of jazz started becoming well-liked and by the 1920’s many artists were