Music is art. We listen to music every day, and there are many music genres, such as Pop, Rock, and Hip-Hop/Rap. We all have our own taste in music. This type of art is able to provide an emotional expression and has a cultural function.
Jazz is one of the most popular music genres out there. Jazz was introduced in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It sprouted from the African American community as a unique blend of blues, ragtime, brass band music, and spirituals.
The music bends with African musical tradition and European harmonies. It emphasizes the individual’s expression and creative freedom through improvisation, swing rhythms, and rhythmical ensemble playing.
Jazz has evolved over the years, it even has its own genres. The first genre was Early Jazz, also known as New Orleans Jazz, from the late 1800s to the 1910s, where it was first introduced, created by Black musicians blending different types of music fundamentals.
Then came the Jazz Age in the 1920s. As the musician moved North, jazz became more well-known in cities like Chicago and New York. It was driven by Prohibition-era speakeasies, radio, and phonograph records. Artists like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington thrived. It symbolized a new era of youth culture, fast-paced dance crazes like the Charleston, and the Harlem Renaissance.
A year later, the Swing Era was now in play. From the 1930s to 1940s, Duke Eilligtiona and Benny Goodman led band groups that would play music to dance to and arrange music. It was very popular in America, and teenagers were into the music.
As we go into the 1950s, the music of jazz had a faster tempo, the music was more complex, and was also artistic. This idea of jazz was introduced by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. While we are still in the 1950s, Cool Jazz and Hard Bop were also introduced; Miles Davis publicized the more relaxed sound of it. Hard Bop showed more soul and gospel influences of Jazz music.
From the 1960s to the present, Fusion and Beyond is what we know today. The Jazz is blended with rock, funk, and electronic music, and explores free-form experimentation.
The instruments that are used to make this music are saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, double bass, drums, and guitar. These instruments are divided into a rhythm section, which includes piano, bass, drums, and guitar. They provide tempo and harmony. The other section is the horn section, which includes sax, trumpet, and trombone for melody and soloing.
Senior Brianna Condit likes to listen to Jazz music.
“[I got into jazz after watching] the ending scene of Avengers: Endgame, where Steve Rogers was dancing with Peggy to ‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time’ by Harry James and Helen Forrest,” states Condit.
One of her favorite songs to listen to is “Unforgettable” (1951) by Nat King Cole. This song fits in the genre of Jazz Pop or Vocal Jazz. Condit likes to listen to Jazz music because it is not something you hear every day. She enjoys having it as background music or blasting on speakers.
Everyone has their own musical taste in what they like to listen to. Each genre of music has its own feel and emotions, but Jazz music has its own relaxed, nostalgic feel.
