Jazz is a type of music genre with roots originating from the African American community of New Orleans. It’s an exclusively American sound that helped form the U.S. and assisted in growing black culture, along with challenging segregation. Jazz is a crucial part of our American history, and assisted in making the U.S. what it is today. The mix of international styles to create this unique sound is a primary cornerstone of African American culture.
Jazz was first created in the 19th century in New Orleans, or more specifically, Congo Square. This was a place where slaves would meet and play music, helping them stay connected during impossibly difficult times. These people were from all over the world, and when they would meet they would all introduce some of their nations’ music to the mix. Eventually, marching band instruments would be added to this blend of African and Caribbean music because of their prevalence during the Civil War. A range of different brass instruments were introduced, and the unified sound would, in time, become known as the genre “ragtime.” Though ragtime is traditionally played on piano, not brass. The exact time that jazz began is unsure, but most believe it began in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Jazz truly rose to fame during the roaring twenties.
The musical traditions of West Africa and Europe are thought to be the foundation of jazz. Jazz borrows the rhythm, “feel,” and blues from West Africa and the harmonic chords and variety of instruments from Europe. Early on, jazz incorporated elements of church hymns, field chants, Cuban-style rhythm, and slave songs. New Orleans is a huge part of the creation of jazz; it served as the melting pot for the music that led to the jazz genre. A big reason jazz came to exist is because of slavery. Slaves from many different nations would come together in Congo Square and play music. Due to harsh rules that the Louisiana Territory had, they were only able to meet on Sundays. These weekly meetings were a way for these people to find joy in the music and helped create the foundation for what became known as jazz.
The first jazz musician who invented jazz is believed to be Buddy Bolden. Bolden was an African-American cornet player, and a bandleader. Though he is an important part to the beginning of jazz, he isn’t the only musician that is associated with the start of jazz. Other early names of jazz include Mutt Carey, Bunk Johnson, and Joe Oliver. Unsurprisingly, they blended many musical traditions, like beats from West Africa and the Caribbean.
Jazz took off in the 1920s, which is also known as the Jazz Age. There were speakeasies, prohibition, and flappers that supported the great success of jazz. Speakeasies gave jazz musicians a place to play their music and grow their fame, like Duke Ellington. The 1920s was an exciting time in history; party life was big, and women were gaining independence! Jazz was the background sound to all of this. It personified how things were changing, and how optimistic the time was. Prohibition was a big factor in the rise of jazz, because it led to the creation of underground nightclubs. These nightclubs are where many famous jazz musicians got their start. The melodies of jazz were perfect for the mood of the speakeasies, and soon the owners of the bars were hiring jazz bands to play.
Technological advances also served to help the growth of jazz. With the invention of the jukebox and 78 rpm, a type of record, there were new ways for people to enjoy music. These new “coin-op” electronic record machines became very popular for jazz to be played in speakeasies. The fast growing popularity of the radio made it so jazz wasn’t just enjoyed locally, but all over the world. This helped African Americans become more accepted globally since jazz was predominantly their music.
Not only was jazz a major outlet for Black people to express themselves and share their culture, but it also helped women gain their independence. In the 1920s, women fought for and won their right to vote. Along with that, they began to become more separate from the stereotype that they must have a man. Women became more empowered and gained confidence in being their true selves. Jazz provided an outlet for these newly liberated women of all ages to begin a rebellion against their traditional roles as daughters and mothers. It also gave them countless new job opportunities in the music industry. Women like Bessie Smith and Ma Rainy were pioneers for women to pursue careers in the admired performing arts. Before the 1920s, the majority of popular musicians were exclusively men.
Speakeasies gave women a place where they could break free from their stereotypical roles that society asked of them. It was a place where they had more freedom in the way they spoke, how they dressed, and even how they behaved. This is the time when people began to see flappers. Flappers were a generation of young, rebellious women who broke free from the Victorian norms of the time. They were often characterized by having short hair and knee-length dresses. They embraced a free lifestyle of dancing, smoking, drinking in speakeasies, and taking advantage of their new freedoms like voting and driving. Eventually, jazz clubs began to be encouraged to have flappers employed at these establishments, to appeal to the liberated youth culture in the 1920s. Women also were able to find jobs in advertising, cosmetics, and clothing industries. This is all thanks to jazz culture breaking stereotypes and being an effective catalyst for women’s liberation.
We see jazz in today’s music industry all the time. It influenced countless popular genres like rock, R&B, hip-hop, pop, and so many others. In hip-hop, jazz has contributed a great deal to the style of this genre. Some people believe that hip-hop is a way to “ruin” or “vulgarize” this truly American genre, but people don’t understand that artists today are borrowing from jazz and adding their own elements to make it their own. Hip-hop uses all the same elements of jazz like the rhymes and strong melodies, while turning it into something new. No matter how many different artists borrow from jazz and change it into something of their own, it is still a beautiful way to communicate your feelings which is how music should be. Music throughout history has always been a way to communicate and convey one’s feelings, which is how jazz even came to exist.
Jazz is more complex than just one genre. It also has sub-genres like bebop, swing, cool jazz, fusion jazz, and so many more. In our modern day society, the sub genre jazz-pop is becoming more popular through artists like Laufey, Norah Jones, and Raye. You can also see jazz fused with hip-hop from Kendrick Lamar. These artists help keep this genre alive by taking inspiration from it, turning it into their own, and making it more personalized to them. With artists like these using jazz to shape their own music, it helps keep the genre alive in this modern day society. You can still see live jazz performances in jazz clubs. Slowly, jazz clubs are making a comeback due to Gen Z’s increasing interest in jazz. Atlanta is experiencing a large increase in the jazz scene. More jazz clubs are opening up down there like the Nostalgia Wine & Jazz lounge. You may be wondering why Gen Z suddenly is interested in jazz. Well, it’s because the popular artists of their generation are combining jazz into their own music style. This has given an outlet to the younger generations to learn about the complex beauty that is jazz.
Jazz is an amazing way to bring people together and to give people the chance to learn about the culture behind this genre, and how it brought people together to create this intricate music. The amazing history of jazz really shaped African American culture, and how music is today. Jazz continues to inspire the younger generation through social media outlets like TikTok, which is introducing kids to short-form jazz content. If we keep introducing jazz to the younger generations we could continue to see a resurgence, and even see more jazz music being released. Jazz is a great way to bring together the younger and older generations through a common interest.
There are so many amazing jazz artists out there, but some of the greats of this genre include Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis. Duke Ellington was an American pianist and a jazz composer. Ellington played and composed music from the 1920’s up until his death in 1974. Ellington had several very popular songs including “Misty,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” “Take The ‘A’ Train,” and many more. Ellington and Coltrane actually produced an album together in 1963. Coltrane was a very talented American saxophone player, as well as a bandleader. Some of his popular songs include “So What,” “Blue Train,” and “My One and Only Love.” Miles Davis was an American trumpeter, composer, and also a bandleader. Some of Davis’s popular songs are “I Waited for You,” “Boplicity,” and “Bye Bye Blackbird.” All of these artists are incredibly talented and have helped shape jazz into the genre it is today. They also helped to popularize the genre.
There are certain instruments that are considered “jazz instruments.” They help give the genre that signature sound that is so commonly known around the world. Those instruments include drums, double bass/bass guitar, piano, all types of saxophone, trumpet, and trombone. The drums and bass provide the rhythm, time, accents, and the overall foundation. While the saxophones, trumpets, and trombone are primarily used for the melodies and solos. There also can be clarinets used for melodies like saxophones, but not as commonly. But with the newer artists borrowing from jazz and adding their own twist to it we start to see less of the traditional instruments, and more modern things like electronic instruments. Jazz is often played in trios and quartets, like for example there is the Miles Davis Quartet, but it can also be large bands like the Duke Ellington Orchestra.
Jazz is such a diverse and meaningful genre, and is unlike so many other more modern genres. How jazz helped bring people together in unimaginably hard times and helped many people get through wars when America was divided, makes it different from other genres. Very few other genres have been able to carry generations of people through the most challenging times in their life, while inspiring others to embrace their true selves. Jazz has shaped American culture in so many ways that many people don’t realize. It has also molded music into what it is today with how many new artists take inspiration from jazz. It is so important that we don’t let this beautiful genre die out. But with new artists still taking inspiration from the genre and Gen Z’s increasing interest, hopefully we won’t have to worry about it. Jazz is such an amazing genre because it forever memorializes the struggles people went through in the 1920s and 30s. It also helped those same people embrace freedom and liberation. Jazz as a whole will forever be such an important part of American history, and how it changed the stereotypical roles for African Americans and women. It also showed what happens when people get together in a horrible time and let music bring them together. As a society we should recognize jazz for how much it has helped unite us, especially minorities such as people of color and women. This is why people should learn more about the history of jazz, and why we need to continue talking about it and creating new jazz music. With its complex backstory and meaningful impact on Americans, jazz is unlike any other genre out there.
