What is Jazz Music

What is Jazz Music?

A style of music, native to America, characterized being strong but flexible and rhythmic.A musical art form rooted in West African cultural and musical expression and in the African American blues tradition, with diverse influences over time.

Characteristics of Jazz Music

Blue notealso "worried" noteis a note thatfor expressive purposesis sung or played at a slightly different pitch than standard.Typically the alteration is a between a quartertone and a semitoneSyncopationinvolves a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected which make part or all of a tune or piece of music off-beatsyncopation is a general term for "a disturbance or interruption of the regular flow of rhythm":A "swing note" or "shuffle note"is a performance practice, mainly in jazz-influenced music, in which some notes with equal written time values are performed with unequal durations, usually as alternating long and short.A call and responseis a succession of two distinct phrasesusually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the firstPolyrhythmis the simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms, that are not readily perceived as deriving from one anotherThe rhythmic conflict may be the basis of an entire piece of music (cross-rhythm), or a momentary disruptionImprovisationIf a jazz band is playing a song, the song may have several solos where one player will improvise while the rest of the band, except for the rhythm section does not playOrigin of the word Jazz

As with many words that began in slang, there is no definitive etymology for jazz. However, the similarity in meaning of the earliest jazz citations to jasm, a now-obsolete slang term meaning spirit, energy, vigor and dated to 1860 in the Historical Dictionary of American Slang, suggests that jasm should be considered the leading candidate for the source of jazzHistory

Started in the United States in the early 20th century. Jazz was influenced by the music of African slaves who were taken form Africa to work in the plantations of the southern United States, such as call and response and blue notes. These characteristics are what developed blues, a sad song that slaves sung during their labor.Jazz is generally thought to have begun in New Orleans, spreading to Chicago, Kansas City, New York City, and the West Coast.

Forms of Jazz

BluesRagtimeNew Orleans JazzSwingNew Orleans JazzSwingBopProgressive Jazz

BluesThe heart of jazz, the blues is a musical form now standardized as 12 bars, based on the tonic, dominant, and subdominant chords.In vocal blues the lyrics are earthy and direct and are mostly concerned with basic human problems.The tempo may vary, and the mood ranges from total despair to cynicism and satire.RagtimeThe earliest form of jazz to exert a wide appeal, ragtime was basically a piano style emphasizing syncopation and polyrhythm.From about 1893 to the beginning of World War I this music was popularized through sheet music and player-piano rolls.New Orleans JazzNew Orleans, or Dixieland, jazz is played by small bands usually made up of cornet or trumpet, clarinet, trombone, and a rhythm section that includes bass, drums, guitar, and sometimes piano.When the band marched, as it often did in the early days, the piano and bass were omitted and a tuba was used.SwingOriginating in Kansas City and Harlem in the late 1920s and becoming a national craze, swing was marked by the substitution of orchestration for improvisation and a rhythm that falls between the beats.The average big band had about 15 members (five reeds, five brass, piano, bass, and drums) and could generate overwhelming volume or evince the most subtle articulations.BopThe vigor of the music notwithstanding, a revolt against the confining nature of the harmony, melody, and rhythm of swingarose in Kansas City and Harlem in the 1930s and reached fruition in the mid-40sProgressive JazzAfter beginning in New York City, progressive, or cool, jazz developed primarily on the West Coast in the late 1940s and early 50s.Intense yet ironically relaxed tonal sonorities are the major characteristic of this jazz form, while the melodic line is less convoluted than in bop.

Scott JoplinJoplin is considered the foremost composer of ragtime music. Many of his compositions, including Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer,

Charles Buddy BoldenTrumpeter Buddy Bolden is credited with bringing a loose, raw approach to instrumental jazz with his loud tone and emphasis on improvisation. He infused ragtime with the blues and black church music, and organized ensembles consisting of brass instruments and clarinets, changing the way jazz composers tended to orchestrate their music.

Nick LaRoccaCornetist and trumpeter LaRocca was the leader of the Original Dixieland Jass Band (later changed to the Original Dixieland Jazz Band), which made the first jazz recordings in 1917. The group consisted of drums, piano, trombone, cornet, and clarinet, and their first cut was called Livery Stable Blues

Louis ArmstrongWith his unique lyrical approach to the trumpet, Armstrong changed the face of jazz, shifting the focus from collective improvisation to personal expression through soloing. He was also a singer with a distinctive voice, and had a knack for scat singing. Throughout his career, he never lost the ability to appeal to a wide audience, and because of his celebrity and his lovable persona, he was selected by the U.S. State Department to represent his country as a musical ambassador, promoting jazz on international tours.

Sample Music VideoPink Panther Theme composed by Henry Mancini