Music genre Jazz

History of Jazz how did Jazz originate?

The origin of Jazz music can be find in the time of Slavery. In the 1600s European
countries such as England, France, Spain, Portugal and Holland itself were
competing to control the world slave trade. Africans were first transported to the
Caribbean islands and the Spain colonies, and later on to Birtish North America.
As we all know, slaves were sold and forced to work and plantations. They were
treated as a possession, and were no longer free people.
Because these slaves came from different countries within Africa, they all spoke
different languages and had different traditions and beliefs. Also the music
traditions were very diverse. On the plantations, the slaves were singing spiritual
work songs.
When in 1863 slavery was abolished, lots of Africans moved from the plantations
to industrial cities looking for work. New Orleans was one of the cities which was
flooded with African American people looking for a job. Due to the large amount
of workers who came to the city, a high unemployment was the result. As a
solution to the unemployment, the African Americans started making music on
the streets. Which resulted in the first form of Jazz music, which was mostly
instrumental and based on improvisation.
In the early 1900s jazz music from New Orleans developed more and more, we
are going to talk about this development later on in the presentation *****.
Millions of America were in love with jazz music. Pioneers such as pianist Jelly Roll
Morton and composer W. C. Handy paves the road on which many other travelled.
Jazz music became more and more popular. An example: music sheets made by
Scott Joplin were sold in millions, so that people were able to play jazz music on
their pianos in their homes. Joplin became the first African American famous
performer.
In the 1920s African American jazz music became popular in the white society as
well as in the black society. ########## Records of Bessie Smith, who was
the first blues singer to be recorded, was sold to black and white Americans.
Black and white Americans came together in the so called Speakeasies, secret
clubs where it was possible to drink (although alcohol was illegal in America), to
dance and to listen to bands who played jazz music. They enjoyed jazz music
together. These Speakeasies were located in the black area in New York, known
as Harlem. Two of the most famous jazz artist of that time were Cob Calloway and
Duke Ellington.
Later on, in the 1930s, known as the swing area, people could also listen to jazz
music on their radios. They could listen for example to Benny Goodman, who was
famous due to his system of playing in a band with black and white musicians.
Most bands were playing with either black musicians, or white musicians.
But not only in America jazz music was a popular type of music, also in England.
Britain became familiar with jazz music trough World War Two, due to the
presence of American Soldiers. Americans also brought dancers with them in
addition to the music.
Jazz was becoming more than just a music genre, it became a scene. During the
1940s and 1950s many jazz musicians were traveling around the world with

their music, since they had become well known. There were new developments
within jazz music ########. And the musicians created their own slang,
clothes and lifestyle.
What characterizes Jazz music?
Jazz is based on improvisation. There are a couple of instruments which make
together the base of the music. The trumpet makes the melody, and the clarinet
and the trombone make the counter melody.
A saxophone, durm and tuba are also instruments which are used by playing or
making jazz music.
Jazz is often based on the pentatonic scale, this implies that there is a use of a
gamut of five tones. This gives jazz its characteristic and recognizable sound.
Most of the time, jazz music is recognizable for its fast rhythm. African music is
often based on the same principle, which makes sense since we know that jazz
music is introduced by the African old slaves. Jazz is a free music style, which
means that is it not bound to established rules.
To me, it sounds like there are shorter parts in the music. Lots is going on,
trumpets and drums, they combine.
Example: Duke Ellington & Coleman Hawkins The Jeep is Jumpin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7EYGm6oD8N4&list=PLL7h86fKhGShSaQFJ3Zx_CcNq6w0xYrDP&index=2
I already spoke about a couple of developments within jazz music. As a told you,
jazz music started as instrumental music based on improvisation. Later on jazz
became more melodic and solos became more popular in the jazz music. Duke
Ellington and Louis Armstrong are two jazz artist who are good examples of jazz
soloists.
During the 1940s and 50s the musicians included complex rhythms, further
harmonies and lots of improvisations. A couple of jazz styles that developed are
bebop, cooljazz and souljazz.
And as you can imagine, jazz combines with other music genres, which happens
with all kinds of music genres. For example, pop music meets rock music. So jazz
music also combines, so we speak for example off Electric Jazz, Jazz Pop, Jazz
Rock and Modern Jazz. So within the bigger genre of jazz, there are some
subgenres, which all differ from each other.
And since jazz is such a free music style, it will always develop. It is possible that
new styles are born while jamming. And that is why jazz will always develop.
What was the influence of jazz music in society? How did it change
society?
Black people came together in Jazz cafes and connected with each other through
this type of music.
Jazz music was not accepted by society in the beginning, it was associated with a
low social status. Later on, when white people started playing Jazz music, it
became more and more accepted. More and more people started dancing on Jazz
music, which made it more and more popular within society.

When Jazz music became more experimental in the 1950s, and RocknRoll made
its way up, the popularity of Jazz music decreased.
It became a more experimental type of music in the 1950s.
Was there an influence on women through Jazz music? The way they
participated in society, the way they dressed?

Sources:
http://www.jazzinmotion.nl/geschiedenis-van-de-jazzmuziek/
https://www.nps.gov/jazz/learn/historyculture/history_early.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/04/arts/music-influence-of-jazz.html