History of Jazz
Introduction
Jazz is a type of music, which is said to have evolved out of the African American quarters of
New Orleans, during the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century. This type is expressed
through swing, blue notes, call and response singing, poly-rhythm, and improvisation. Although
jazz is one of the youngest types of music, it has had a huge impact on the culture of America
and other types of music all over the world. Its emergence is an inspiring story of sustained black
culture in American society, and its worldwide influence indicates the program’s versatility. Jazz
is not so much a style of music, although it is that, but a cultural phenomenon that is still young
and marching to the beat of its own drummer.
Origins of Jazz
Jazz’s roots are African rhythms arrived in America with slaves and evolved from the African
American original cultural music. Some of these traditions were the work songs, spirituals and
the blues which were merged with European musical components. The blues, which boasts
strong feelings, was incorporated into the style’s main framework and served as a theoretical
base for the subsequent development of jazz. Thus, work songs and spirituals, being
characterized by call and response interaction, and improvisation were influential in shaping Jazz
music.
Jazz also introduced syncopation into its music and two genres which were its precursors were
ragtime and cakewalk. Building from the synthesis of the African syncopation with the
Europeans classical forms ragtime which was played on the piano was pioneered by musicians
such as Scott Joplin. Brass bands and march music; popular in New Orleans also played a role in
the early jazz tunes. These different musical orientations were then mingled by musicians within
New Orleans to formulate a new kind of music, which from about the 1910s was starting to be
called jazz.
The birth of Jazz was made possible by the availability of socipising to embrace the music; in
this case, the people of New Orleans proved to be an ideal society. Storyville in New Orleans the
city that was dominated with a lot of bars, brothels and dance halls was one of the cradles of
Jazz. Thus, the conditions of free work and initiative, the lively spirit of Storyville with the
simultaneous development of different forms of music provided the best conditions for jazz. This
era therefore saw the introduction of several musical works that initiated the growth of jazz
music as a class.
Early Jazz (1900s-1920s)
There is no doubt that New Orleans is credited for originating jazz. Although the modern city
was formed in the early of the twentieth century, its lively and fruitful cultural life always
promoted the emergence of this new style of music. The harmonization of African and Caribbean
people with French and Spanish colonization and finally the American influence all shaped a
culture that was perfect for experimenting with music. Storyville which was a part of New
Orleans was also a hot spot for early Jazz with many bars brothels and dance halls.
Some major musicians who contributed early Jazz include; Louis Armstrong whose stylistic
trumpet playing broken with barriers and reinventing Jazz, and Jelly Roll Morton whose
innovation in piano playing and compositions couldn’t be replaced. Armstrong modifies the
concept of jazz improvisation and his energetic performing on a stage contributed to the
development of jazz from the regional music style to the national one. Morton, who is widely
regarded as one of the first true Jazz composers, brought in intricate arrangements, differences,
and much more into his work.
The new form of music began growing in popularity and with it began emphasizing in other
cities like Chicago and New York. From the arguments provided, the Great Migration among
Blacks seeking freedom from the prejudice and discrimination of the rural South to the urban
North, contributed greatly to this spread. The city of Chicago developed the jazz over the period
of 1920s and some of the famous musicians who played in Chicago were King Oliver and his
Creole Jazz Band and young Louis Armstrong. This was influenced by the choice of the band
instruments where Oliver used the clarinet for as the leading instrument for the jazz band and this
paved way for the other bands.
New York City also found itself as a land of Jazz and became a cultural movement’s
headquarters through the Harlem Renaissance that celebrated Blacks and their art. The Savoy
Ballroom with music and competitions of jazz bands therefore represented the essence of the
Harlem jazz. Pianists that played with their orchestra such as Fletcher Henderson or early jazz
composer James P. Johnson contributed a lot to this era.
Swing Era (1930s-1940s)
Swing era that begun in the 1930s and extended to 1940s which concentrated on big bands and
dancing. Swing coupled with the strong rhythm section and the equal weight given to melody
became very famous in the whole of USA. Some of the well-known bandleaders during this
period were Duke Ellington, Count Basie as well as Benny Goodman.
The advanced harmonic progressions and complex orchestrations which are heavily textured in
classical influences and sections, as well as the demonstration of specific players’ tight and lush
ensemble in selected tracks, produced Ellington as probably one of the most prolific composers
ever in jazz. Performances of his band at the Cotton Club in Harlem made him famous all over
the nation. Of course, Count Basie’s orchestra which was a twenty-piece troupe, possessing a
mighty rhythmic section and revealing a predominant bluesy feeling was yet another important
contributor to the swing movement. Because of this Basie was able to maintain some stability
and-create a consistent band sound that was swinging that made his orchestra an ideal model for
other bands.
Benny Goodman, who received a nickname the ‘King of Swing’, played important role in
popularizing jazz music, especially when he performed with his orchestra at Carnegie Hall that
helped to jazz to become recognized as the genuine art form. Some of Goodman’s band members
including the swing music pioneers include; Teddy Wilson, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Christian
whose solos and ensemble playing were considered cardinal in the evolution of swing music.
The installation of the black culture through the Harlem Renaissance also faculty played a very
important role in marketing jazz. The jazz music which seemed to originate from the bars began
to be performed in night clubs such as the Cotton Club and the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem with
equal participation of the black and whites. The swing era was also characterized by the
prominence of vocalist jazz; people like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Thanks to
Fitzgerald’s clear, bell-like voice, and precisely intonated phrasing matched with Holiday’s
powerful, highly expressive voice the music remained unique.
Bebop and Post-War Jazz (1940s-1950s)
The underlying style of jazz begun to evolve further in the 1940s with bebop, which is a faster
style of jazz. Bebop musicians therefore aimed at following the dancing oriented swing music
and look for the new harmonic and melodic patterns. This new style was based on the use of
complicated chords’ sequences, fast tempo and brilliant improvisations.
Some of the leaders of bebop included Charlie Parker a saxophonist whose playing was
revolutionary and Dizzy Gillespie a trumpeter famous for his fancy style and composition.
Parker remained consistent in using tones in chords and changing them rapidly, thus totally
revolutionizing chord jazz. Gillespie who played the trumpet curvature and the puffed cheeks,
was a main spokesperson on bebop technique and came up with “A Night in Tunisia”
performances.
Another composer of bop music was Thelonious Monk, who was a pianist of great importance
for the style. Of particular interest, Monk’s kind of harmony and rhythm which was
unconventional with strange chords and sharp rhythms was initially highly criticized although
was later proved to be highly creative. Pieces like “Round Midnight” and “Blue Monk” can be
classified as jazz standards since they are frequently performed by artists. Other swing bebop
musicians included Bud Powell on piano who was remarkable for his speed or velocity in
playing the piano and Max Roach as the drummer who’s drumming translated bebop rhythm.
Cool Jazz and Hard Bop (1950s-1960s)
The next type of jazz that developed was cool jazz in 1950s and it was a less intense type of jazz
than bebop. This genre of music was originated and is most popularly represented in the album
“Birth of the Cool” by Miles Davis. Cool jazz was much softer in sound, played at a slower
tempo, with strong accent on melody and where the arrangement was very important. The style
was related to the music compositions and people could hear more difficult tunes.
Other artists within the genre of the cool jazz are; Gerry Mulligan on saxophone, Dave Brubeck
playing piano and Paul Desmond also playing saxophone. Mulligan made an effort to record
some of his early cool jazz works as piano less quartets, whereas Brubeck was known to
produced album such as “Time Out”, much of it contained some of the most revolutionary work
that incorporated complex time signatures that swung. Desmond gained fame by playing flute on
‘Take Five’ in a very smooth and lyrical style, thus creating one of the most recognizable tunes
of cool jazz. That’s the point where Brubeck’s advanced compositions were complemented by
Desmond’s lyrical improvisations which made their cooperation a feature of cool jazz
movement.
However, hard bop went back to the basics of jazz, with the blues and gospel bases of the style,
but with more muscular tones. Some famous Jazz musicians included in this offshoot were John
Coltrane and Art Blakey through what was known as hard bop, which was characterized by
improvisation and affect. In particular, Coltrane’s religious ardor that formed his lyricism and
Blakey’s enforcer drum and Jazz Messengers leadership were at the core of the hard bop
movement. On the album “Giant Steps” Coltrane implemented his ideas of harmony and
improvisation The Jazz Messengers of Blakey served as training ground to many young
musicians.
Some other hard bop artists were Horace Silver, Clifford Brown and Sonny Rollins, Silver was a
piano player, his compositions were cheerful and mainly based on blues, Brown was a trumpeter
where his smooth and technically outstanding playing paved way for excellence, Rollins was a
saxophonist where his improvising and focusing on complex themes were significant in hard
bop. It should also be noted that hard bop also indoctrinated the record label Blue Note, which
associated with this style and released early Jazz masterpieces.
Modal Jazz and Free Jazz (1960s)
More recently starting in the 1960’s modal jazz emerged a style in which the soloist used scales
or modes rather than chords and progressions as the basis for improvisation. An example of the
modal jazz can be Miles Davis’s album “Kind of Blue”. This approach broke up the rigidness
that happens with an existing, settled style and allowed for a more free flowing structure and less
congested sound. Some of the prominent musicians included John Coltrane, Cannonball
Adderley, Bill Evans and Jimmy Cobb the interaction of which created a new virtuosity in
improvisation.
Modal jazz was also used by John Coltrane in his work, although his experiments with the genre
were far more profound as he coupled them with such themes as spirituality and elaborate
structures of ‘A Love Supreme’. Through the experimenting of new ideas and hard work,
Coltrane became one of the greatest jazz musicians of all times. His “sheets of sound” approach
and the fast streaming of notes, interest in core oriental melodic patterns and the use of
spirituality as the major motif proved u him as the visionary musician.
In free jazz which was pioneered by Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor the musicians did not
follow any format at all and they used improvisation and experimented some more. Coleman
specifically through his LP The Shape of Jazz to Come and Taylor by piano improvisations that
defied harmonia-melodic rhythmic syntax. Frederick Coleman introduced the so called
‘harmolodics,’ a theory that made the musicians free to improvise at the same time, while Taylor
looked for dissonance and atonality that expanded the jazz beyond the limits.
Fusion and Contemporary Jazz (1970s-Present)
Towards the later part of the twentieth century, Jazz own offspring Jazz fusion was born from
jazz and rock, funk and electronic music. The fusion genre is often attributed to ones album –
Bitches Brew of Miles Davis. Fusion is an off-shoot of Jazz which employed electricity
instruments, sophisticated beats and free forming solos. It introduced new possibilities of jazz to
a younger population and is considered to be the major innovation in this genre.
Fusion bands of note were Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Return to Forever. Among
the Fusion legends, Weather Report which was fronted by keyboardist Joe Zawinul and
saxophonist Wayne Shorter gave great prominence to synthesizers. American guitarist John
McLaughlin’s group Mahavishnu Orchestra incorporated jazz rock with experimentations on
Indian classical music with propulsive and virtuosic characteristic. Return to Forever was an
American jazz group formed in 1971, their primary leader was Chick Corea, who is also a
keyboardist, and the band mainly played jazz fused with Latin and rock elements and was
responsible for some of the most loved fusion works in the 1970s.
Currently, the experiments of musicians and bands in the context of jazz are actively being
developed. Playing modern jazz are Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Wynton Marsalis and other
talented musicians. Hancock is a pianist and a composer and he was able to combine jazz
element with electronic together with funk which was groundbreaking. Metheny who has been
described as a genius guitarist to do with his mastery of utility of technology as well as his
versatility in his work is a recognizable artist of the contemporary jazz. Marsalis, a trumpeter and
composer integrated into the community, was an influential figure in the preservation and
advocacy of the tradition based jazz and at the same time experimenting with new forms of
music.
The appearance of jazz educational programs and schools like the Berklee College of Music,
and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz has also enhanced new generations of jazz music.
These classes are useful for those who dare to become musicians to gain the necessary skills and
theoretical background in the chosen style. Many jazz festivals and clubs have also continued
sprouting worldwide, thus continue to help in sustaining the jazz music and giving the
opportunity for both upcoming and great musicians to flaunt their skills.
Jazz and Social Change
For centuries, Jazz has been the musical way of people’s fighting for their rights. In the 1950s
and up to the 1960s, jazz music was also a tool for the civil rights protest and fighting against the
discrimination of Black people. There were musicians who during their musical performances
dealt with social and political messages to the society; artists such as Nina Simone, Max Roach,
and Charles Mingus.
Another song of Simone, the “Mississippi Goddam” which is widely cherished and appreciated,
was a protest against the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers and the bombing of a
church in Birmingham, Alabama killing four little black girls. Roach’s “We Insist! Freedom
Now Suite” was an existence of freedom and collaboration with vocalist Abbey Lincoln, along
with other notable artists who sought to end the suffering of black people. Some of Mingus’s
pieces including “Fables of Faubus” were a direct protest against segregation and racism.
It also contributed in the accomplishment of cultural interactions and relations. In the earlier
period, during the pre-world war period, the U. S. State Department also featured Jazz musicians
like Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington among others to many countries as
world jazz ambassadors. These tours were beneficial in overcoming the cultural barriers and in
getting the positive outlook to America overseas.
Women in Jazz
Even though there has been few females jazz musicians more so in the earlier eras, many
beautiful ladies have contributed to jazz. Some of the early personalities in the industry included
Mary Lou Williams, Billie Holiday, and Ella Fitzgerald whom changed the stereotypical and
dominated the standards, among other benchmarks, of music. Initially Williams was a pianist and
composer and she was one of the most important players in the swing and the bebop movement
owing to her amazing arrangements and compositions. Holiday’s passionate and her capability to
depict strong feeling just through her voice made her one of the most remarkable jazz vocalists
of all the time. This talented woman who could sing in the vocal range of octaves and improvise
was therefore given the accolade; First Lady of Song.
In the recent past however there have been some female jazz musicians including; Esperanza
Spalding and Terri Lyne Carrington who have changed the face of jazz. Vying for the position of
a bassist, singer, as well as a composer, Spalding has her music labelled as genre bending along
with experimental jazz. She was the first jazz artist to bag the Grammy Award for Best New
Artist in the year 2011. Carrington is a drummer and composer with influences of many of the
jazz giants, who is also instrumental in fighting for the rights of women in this industry.
Global Influence of Jazz
Jazz has tremendously influenced music and culture all over the world. Being mainly improvised
and stressing personal creative forms, jazz has influenced musicians of various genres, starting
with the classics and ending with hip-hop. Jazz audiences all over the world patronize Jazz
festivals and clubs while Jazz education programs have become prevalent so that generations of
musicians can be synergized by this vibrant and changing form of music.
European Jazz musicians like Django Reinhardt, and Stephane Grappelli also started creating a
different style of jazz entirely, while musicians from the Latin American region like Antônio
Carlos Jobim and Stan Getz began to incorporate the jazz with boss nova and with many other
Latin music styles. Some of the African jazz musicians include Hugh Masekela and Abdullah
Ibrahim who introduced traditional African elements in the music producing magnificent African
jazz tunes.
One could also observe Jazz in the progression of such styles as reggae, ska, and Afro beat, as
well as in symphonic works from Igor Stravinsky and Leonard Bernstein. One can state that the
dissemination of jazz across the globe has contributed to the eradications of cultural prejudices
and commenced the recognition for various music genres.
Conclusion
Jazz’s journey starting from the African American roots of New Orleans and growing into a
phenomenal that is now seen all across the world is definitely quite a plot in music history.
However, each period of jazz has given fresh ideas and forms, and all these have made the
spectrum of the jazz rather diverse. Therefore, the meaning of jazz can be summed up in the fact
that its history endures in the music and the culture and the future still offers promise for
continued assessment and innovation. Jazz as is still progressing, still retains its function in
expressing the freedom of art and creativity, and as a result, attractive music lovers globally.
