The Evolution of Jazz
There are tons of music genres played in America, however jazz is one of the only American genres. Jazz has a long history that has brought it to be what it sounds like now. Jazz began with slaves in the 1700s, who would sing and make music as a way to express themselves and how oppressed they felt. Later on, the music made by slaves developed into the jazz that was so famously popular in the 1920s. This jazz continued to develop into the jazz of today’s society, and is still loved by many people. Jazz has been a staple in American culture since the American Revolution and has changed over time to become the music that Americans enjoy today.
Jazz has roots dating back to the 1700s when slaves would use music as a …show more content…
A common theme in the 1920s was rebellion and change. Jazz is the epitome of counterculture. Jazz had a “...distinct combinations of a main melody, active countermelody, collective improvisation, accenting off beats, and creating rhythms that pull against the main pulse of the music” (“The Jazz Era”). All of these elements combined created a unique sound, one that had never really been done before. The whole idea of being unique and against the societal norms was one that jazz musicians tried hard to capture with their music. They created complex sounds that were special to that genre. Jazz at this time was all about doing things differently, such as the whole band improvising for sections of songs, or having a completely different time signature than music that preceded it. People in the crowds at jazz concerts would watch musicians dance and create music together on the spot by using improvational skills they had worked out together. It was a fascinating thing to watch, and is part of what made jazz so interesting to listen to because not every performance of the same song sounded the same. During this time African Americans started creating jazz, a music that black and white people alike enjoyed listening and dancing to. It was a music genre that united the two races more than anything else in the media had before. While at first, this did connect the two races, there was later some segregation between “white …show more content…
There is a day dedicated to jazz, which is called International Jazz day. This day strives to promote “...understanding and appreciation across cultures...” (Cook). In American society today we are surrounded by talented jazz arts. Some of these artists include Norah Jones, Gregory Porter, The Hot Sardines, Kendrick Scott, and many more. Jazz remains a big part of American culture as there are many music festivals solely dedicated to it. New Orleans, Louisiana is where the heart of American jazz resides. There you will find jazz musicians playing live in clubs, bars, concert venues, and even on street corners and local parks. People travel from all over to hear jazz musicians spread their unique sound. The popular American genre of jazz has roots dating all the way back to the 1700s and a remains an american favorite even in
There are tons of music genres played in America, however jazz is one of the only American genres. Jazz has a long history that has brought it to be what it sounds like now. Jazz began with slaves in the 1700s, who would sing and make music as a way to express themselves and how oppressed they felt. Later on, the music made by slaves developed into the jazz that was so famously popular in the 1920s. This jazz continued to develop into the jazz of today’s society, and is still loved by many people. Jazz has been a staple in American culture since the American Revolution and has changed over time to become the music that Americans enjoy today.
Jazz has roots dating back to the 1700s when slaves would use music as a …show more content…
A common theme in the 1920s was rebellion and change. Jazz is the epitome of counterculture. Jazz had a “...distinct combinations of a main melody, active countermelody, collective improvisation, accenting off beats, and creating rhythms that pull against the main pulse of the music” (“The Jazz Era”). All of these elements combined created a unique sound, one that had never really been done before. The whole idea of being unique and against the societal norms was one that jazz musicians tried hard to capture with their music. They created complex sounds that were special to that genre. Jazz at this time was all about doing things differently, such as the whole band improvising for sections of songs, or having a completely different time signature than music that preceded it. People in the crowds at jazz concerts would watch musicians dance and create music together on the spot by using improvational skills they had worked out together. It was a fascinating thing to watch, and is part of what made jazz so interesting to listen to because not every performance of the same song sounded the same. During this time African Americans started creating jazz, a music that black and white people alike enjoyed listening and dancing to. It was a music genre that united the two races more than anything else in the media had before. While at first, this did connect the two races, there was later some segregation between “white …show more content…
There is a day dedicated to jazz, which is called International Jazz day. This day strives to promote “...understanding and appreciation across cultures...” (Cook). In American society today we are surrounded by talented jazz arts. Some of these artists include Norah Jones, Gregory Porter, The Hot Sardines, Kendrick Scott, and many more. Jazz remains a big part of American culture as there are many music festivals solely dedicated to it. New Orleans, Louisiana is where the heart of American jazz resides. There you will find jazz musicians playing live in clubs, bars, concert venues, and even on street corners and local parks. People travel from all over to hear jazz musicians spread their unique sound. The popular American genre of jazz has roots dating all the way back to the 1700s and a remains an american favorite even in