There is so much history to cover in over 100 years of jazz and so many

different eras as the music has evolved.

You can start with New Orleans where it was born and read up on JELLY
ROLL MORTON (who said he created jazz) and maybe LOUIS ARMSTRONG
(who many say was the first great improvisor).
The swing or big band era has many stars like CHICK WEBB, TOMMY &
JIMMY DORSEY and GLENN MILLER. That era created the careers of great
singers like ELLA FITZGERALD, BILLIE HOLIDAY, SARAH VAUGHN and
many more.
BEBOP followed then and the major artists of that era include CHARLIE
PARKER, DIZZY GILLESPIE, MILES DAVIS & JOHN COLTRANE.
FREE JAZZ and HARD BOP and SOUL JAZZ followed that and the artists
include ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS, ORNETTE COLEMAN,
ERIC DOLPHY, HORACE SILVER, JIMMY SMITH, FREDDIE HUBBARD,
BROTHER JACK McDUFF and many more.
JAZZ FUSION (some called it JAZZ-ROCK FUSION as it was played on
electric instruments like a rock band might play) was created by MILES
DAVIS and a host of young players he brought into his band who later
started their own bands. Some of those bands included RETURN TO
FOREVER with CHICK COREA, THE MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA with JOHN
McLAUGHLIN, WEATHER REPORT with JOE ZAWINUL, WAYNE SHORTER
& JACO PASTORIUS and THE HEADHUNTERS with HERBIE HANCOCK.
A lighter style of jazz followed that and it was called CONTEMPORARY
JAZZ with great players like PAT METHENY, RAMSEY LEWIS, BOB JAMES
and many more. Other styles you might investigate that emerged in the last
decade of the 20th century included ACID JAZZ and JAMBAND JAZZ. You
can look those up when you have time and you'll see a lot of information.
What's going on today is very fragmented into a number of styles with
players from all over the world making great improvised music. The styles
are too numerous to mention but some include what is called WORLD JAZZ

and a very electronic style called TECHNO JAZZ or JAZZTRONICA.

Read, Learn and Enjoy and keep listening to Voice of America's JAZZ
AMERICA and go to the MOJA Radio website (www.mojaradio.com) to hear
more samples!
Russ Davis
Voice of America
MOJA Radio
www.mojaradio.com
davispro@nyc.rr.com