THE ORIGINS OF JAZZ

DEFINITION
Jazz is hard to define, there're no set rules of how it's to be played. A lot of improvisation, polyrhythms, and syncopation.

NO TWO SONGS ARE THE SAME
In jazz, no two songs are really the same, based on the interpretation of the artist, as well as how much improvisation is used in the song. If two artists were to sing the same song, it might sound completely different because of the way the artists interpret the music.

WHERE DID JAZZ COME FROM?

• Jazz was born in America 100 years ago (20th century)
• Roots can be found in music from Europe and Africa
• Jazz is a combination of both

AFRICAN ROOTS

• Rhythm and feeling
• "Blues"
• Expressive instrument playing
• Most early tunes were developed from African slave songs

EUROPEAN ROOTS

• Harmony-Jazz harmony is similar to classical music harmony
• Instruments (saxophone, piano, trumpet, etc.)

AFRICAN AND EUROPEAN SOUND COMBINED
Another influence in the sound of jazz were the old hymns of church, and when African Americans learned to play European instruments like the violin, the two styles were combined to create the original jazz sound.

NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans was important in the development of jazz because of the ports. Many different ethnic groups met here, and the nightlife created a perfect atmosphere for musicians to combine these elements and play jazz.

JAZZ AROUND THE WORLD
As jazz spread around the world, each new place gave it a unique twist in the sound. There were many variations, from brass bands to dance-oriented, to chorale jazz.

RAGTIME
Ragtime was a big influence on jazz music, with its most famous composer, Scott Joplin. Its main component is the syncopated rhythm. This genre was created in African American communities in St. Louis. Many jazz composers used the style of ragtime in their music.

BLUES
Blues was also a large influence in jazz, with its soulful tone and improvisation. This southern style of music developed a different style of jazz, which included new chord progressions and slurs in the vocal section of music.

SWING
Again, another large influence on jazz was swing music. Swing is basically ragtime, but looser, it relaxed the rigid feeling of ragtime. A famous swing musician was Louis Armstrong, who really set the standards for swing music.