Jazz

Jazz, compared to classical music, is a quite modern and contemporary genre. It originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is often seen as America’s classical music, as the eras of classical music in previous centuries were dominated by Western European countries.

In the Roaring Twenties, jazz became very popular, especially in the South. It was a way for African Americans to have a role in society, as segregation was still prevalent in the U.S. during this time. Figures like Louis Armstrong quickly became popular, inspiring other African Americans to join the movement. It acted as a bridge between whites and blacks through a joint love of music. Jazz also offered relief from the post-war stress, as World War I had just ended. Although the era died down just before the start of the Great Depression in 1929, jazz has lived on in American popular culture.

There are several subgenres of jazz, as well as types of ensembles within the genre. A few of these are chamber jazz, which consists of a small, mainly acoustic ensemble that depends on group interplay, Bossa nova, a Brazilian melodic samba-like type of jazz popular on the west coast, and smooth jazz, a down-tempo style which features a soloist playing over a programmed accompaniment. Most types of jazz combine Western cultural music with African rhythms. The most common form of music within the genre is blues, or a 12-bar rhythm that repeats and has an AABA structure.

Improvisation is a key element of jazz music, which sets it apart from other genres. It embodies the free spirit of the genre, allowing performers to show their own interpretation of the piece. Improvisation is also a way for the players to show off their skills, usually to excite and prompt reactions from the audience. Typically, there is a section of the piece dedicated to improvisation, when several players will stand one after another and play an improvised version of the melody while the other members of the ensemble are playing an accompaniment. Jazz soloists must be open to creativity and not restrained by the strict, traditional music theory structures.

Jazz is one of the most modern genres of instrumental music, and it represented society in the 1920s but is still prevalent today. Jazz bands are very popular in high school and college music programs and often play as entertainment for public events. Jazz is a way to learn not only a different type of music, but a piece of our nation’s history.