Jazz Is A Music Genre That Originated In The African-American Communities Of New Orleans, Louisiana, In The Late 19th And Early 20th Centuries, With Its Roots In Blues And Ragtime.
Since The 1920s Jazz Age, It Has Been Recognized As A Major Form Of Musical Expression In Traditional And Popular Music. Jazz Is Characterized By Swing And Blue Notes, Complex Chords, Call And Response Vocals, Polyrhythms And Improvisation. Jazz Has Roots In European Harmony And African Rhythmic Rituals.
As Jazz Spread Around The World, It Drew On National, Regional, And Local Musical Cultures, Which Gave Rise To Different Styles.
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Early Jazz (1910s-1930s)
Early Jazz Performers Such As Louis Armstrong And Jelly Roll Morton Improvised Over These Ragtime And Blues Traditions, Resulting In A Wholly Distinct Style Of American Music.
New Orleans Jazz Began In The Early 1910s, Combining Earlier Brass Band Marches, French Quadrilles, Biguine, Ragtime And Blues With Collective Polyphonic Improvisation.
But Jazz Did Not Begin As A Single Musical Tradition In New Orleans Or Elsewhere.
In The 1920s, Jazz Moved To Chicago And New York, Where It Became More Popular And Sophisticated. The First Recordings Of Jazz Were Made By The Original Dixieland Jass Band In 1917.
Some Of The Influential Musicians Of This Era Include King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Bix Beiderbecke, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, And Paul Whiteman.
The Latter Was Known As The “King Of Jazz” For His Orchestral Arrangements That Blended Jazz With Classical Music.
In The Late 1920s And Early 1930s, A New Style Of Jazz Emerged Called Swing Or Big Band Jazz. Swing Was Based On Danceable Rhythms And Featured Large Ensembles Of Brass, Reeds, And Rhythm Sections.
Some Of The Famous Swing Bandleaders Were Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, And Tommy Dorsey. Swing Also Produced Some Of The First Jazz Vocalists, Such As Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, And Bing Crosby.
Modern Jazz (1940s-1960s)
The 1940s Saw The Emergence Of Bebop, A Radical Departure From Swing That Emphasized Fast Tempos, Complex Harmonies, Intricate Melodies, And Virtuosic Improvisation.
Bebop Was More Of A “Musician’s Music” Than A Popular Music. Some Of The Pioneers Of Bebop Were Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, And Max Roach1.
In The Late 1940s And Early 1950s, A New Style Of Jazz Developed Called Cool Jazz Or West Coast Jazz. Cool Jazz Was Influenced By Classical Music And Featured Softer Tones, Lighter Rhythms, And More Relaxed Tempos.
Some Of The Prominent Cool Jazz Musicians Were Miles Davis (Who Later Switched To Other Styles), Dave Brubeck (Who Popularized Jazz With His Hit “Take Five”), Gerry Mulligan (Who Played Baritone Saxophone), Chet Baker (Who Was Also A Singer), Stan Getz (Who Introduced Bossa Nova To Jazz), And Gil Evans (Who Arranged For Davis).
In The Mid-1950s And Early 1960s, Another Style Of Jazz Emerged Called Hard Bop Or Soul Jazz. Hard Bop Was A Reaction To Cool Jazz That Incorporated Elements Of Blues, Gospel, And Rhythm And Blues.
Hard Bop Was More Expressive, Emotional, And Rhythmic Than Cool Jazz. Some Of The Leading Hard Bop Musicians Were Art Blakey (Who Led The Jazz Messengers), Horace Silver (Who Composed Many Hard Bop Tunes), Clifford Brown (Who Died Young In A Car Accident), Lee Morgan (Who Recorded The Hit “The Sidewinder”), Sonny Rollins (Who Was Known For His Long Solos), John Coltrane (Who Later Explored Free Jazz), Cannonball Adderley (Who Played Alto Saxophone), Wes Montgomery (Who Played Guitar), And Jimmy Smith (Who Played Organ).
In The Late 1950s And Early 1960s, A New Style Of Jazz Developed Called Modal Jazz Or Post-Bop. Modal Jazz Was Based On Modes Or Scales Rather Than Chords As The Basis Of Musical Structure And Improvisation.
Modal Jazz Was More Open, Spacious, And Spiritual Than Hard Bop. Some Of The Influential Modal Jazz Musicians Were Miles Davis (Who Recorded The Landmark Album “Kind Of Blue”), John Coltrane (Who Recorded The Masterpiece “A Love Supreme”), Bill Evans (Who Played Piano), Herbie Hancock (Who Played Piano And Later Electric Keyboards), Wayne Shorter (Who Played Tenor Saxophone), And Mccoy Tyner (Who Played Piano).
In The 1960s, A New Style Of Jazz Emerged Called Free Jazz Or Avant-Garde Jazz. Free Jazz Was An Experimental And Radical Form Of Jazz That Abandoned Regular Meter, Beat, And Formal Structures.
Free Jazz Was Influenced By The Civil Rights Movement And The Social And Political Turmoil Of The Time. Free Jazz Was More Expressive, Chaotic, And Unpredictable Than Modal Jazz.
Some Of The Pioneers Of Free Jazz Were Ornette Coleman (Who Coined The Term “Free Jazz”), Cecil Taylor (Who Played Piano), Albert Ayler (Who Played Tenor Saxophone), Sun Ra (Who Led A Cosmic-Themed Orchestra), Eric Dolphy (Who Played Multiple Instruments), And Charles Mingus (Who Was Also A Composer And Bandleader).
Fusion Jazz (1970s-1980s)
In The Late 1960s And Early 1970s, A New Style Of Jazz Emerged Called Jazz-Rock Fusion Or Simply Fusion. Fusion Was A Blend Of Jazz Improvisation With Rock Music’s Rhythms, Electric Instruments, And Highly Amplified Stage Sound.
Fusion Was Influenced By Psychedelic Rock, Funk, Soul, And World Music. Fusion Was More Accessible, Energetic, And Commercial Than Free Jazz.
Some Of The Prominent Fusion Musicians Were Miles Davis (Who Recorded The Influential Albums “Bitches Brew” And “On The Corner”), Herbie Hancock (Who Formed The Headhunters Band), Chick Corea (Who Led The Return To Forever Band), John Mclaughlin (Who Led The Mahavishnu Orchestra), Weather Report (A Band That Featured Wayne Shorter And Jaco Pastorius), Pat Metheny (Who Played Guitar), And Jeff Beck (Who Played Guitar)1.
In The Late 1970s And Early 1980s, A New Style Of Jazz Emerged Called Smooth Jazz Or Contemporary Jazz. Smooth Jazz Was A Derivative Of Fusion That Featured Softer Sounds, Lighter Rhythms, And Catchy Melodies.
Smooth Jazz Was Influenced By Pop Music, R&B, And New Age Music. Smooth Jazz Was More Popular, Relaxing, And Background-Oriented Than Fusion.
Some Of The Notable Smooth Jazz Musicians Were Grover Washington Jr. (Who Played Saxophone), George Benson (Who Played Guitar And Sang), Kenny G (Who Played Saxophone), David Sanborn (Who Played Saxophone), Bob James (Who Played Keyboards), Spyro Gyra (A Band That Featured Jay Beckenstein On Saxophone), And The Rippingtons (A Band That Featured Russ Freeman On Guitar)1.
Modern Jazz (1990s-Present)
In The 1990s And 2000s, A New Style Of Jazz Emerged Called Neo-Bop Or Mainstream Jazz. Neo-Bop Was A Revival Of Hard Bop And Post-Bop That Emphasized Acoustic Instruments, Swing Rhythms, Complex Harmonies, And Lyrical Melodies.
Neo-Bop Was Influenced By Classic Jazz Recordings Of The 1950s And 1960s. Neo-Bop Was More Traditional, Sophisticated, And Authentic Than Smooth Jazz.
Some Of The Leading Neo-Bop Musicians Were Wynton Marsalis (Who Played Trumpet And Led The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra), Branford Marsalis (Who Played Saxophone), Joshua Redman (Who Played Saxophone), Roy Hargrove (Who Played Trumpet), Christian Mcbride (Who Played Bass), Diana Krall (Who Played Piano And Sang), And Brad Mehldau (Who Played Piano).
In The 2000s And 2010s, A New Style Of Jazz Emerged Called Nu Jazz Or Electro-Jazz. Nu Jazz Was A Fusion Of Jazz With Electronic Music, Such As House, Drum And Bass, Trip Hop, And Ambient. Nu Jazz Featured Sampling, Looping, Synthesizers, Drum Machines, And Djing.
Nu Jazz Was Influenced By Hip Hop, Dance Music, And World Music. Nu Jazz Was More Experimental, Modern, And Eclectic Than Neo-Bop.
Some Of The Notable Nu Jazz Musicians Were St Germain (Who Mixed Jazz With House Music), Jazzanova (A Collective That Blended Jazz With Various Electronic Genres), The Cinematic Orchestra (A Group That Combined Jazz With Orchestral And Cinematic Sounds), Esperanza Spalding (Who Played Bass And Sang), Robert Glasper (Who Played Piano And Keyboards), And Kamasi Washington (Who Played Saxophone).
Jazz Is A Rich And Diverse Musical Genre That Has Evolved Over More Than A Century. Jazz Reflects The Social, Cultural, And Historical Contexts Of Its Creators And Performers.
Jazz Is Also A Dynamic And Creative Art Form That Continues To Explore New Possibilities And Expressions. Jazz Is A Music That Can Be Enjoyed By Anyone, Regardless Of Their Musical Background Or Preferences.
Jazz Is A Music That Can Inspire, Challenge, And Delight Us. Jazz Is A Music That Can Make Us Feel Alive. Jazz Is Music That Can Change The World.
Related Faqs
What Are The Main Elements Of Jazz?
Jazz Is Characterized By Swing And Blue Notes, Complex Chords, Call And Response Vocals, Polyrhythms And Improvisation.
What Are The Main Styles Of Jazz?
Jazz Has Many Styles That Have Evolved Over Time, Such As New Orleans Jazz, Swing, Bebop, Cool Jazz, Hard Bop, Modal Jazz, Free Jazz, Fusion, Smooth Jazz, Neo-Bop, And Nu Jazz.
Who Are Some Of The Most Influential Jazz Musicians?
Jazz Has Produced Many Legendary Musicians Who Have Shaped The Genre And Influenced Other Genres. Some Of The Most Influential Jazz Musicians Are Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Wynton Marsalis, And Esperanza Spalding.