THE ORIGINS OF JAZZ
New Orleans. A city filled with cultural significance that impacted the birth of jazz. With its heavy french and Creole influence, the music was developed firstly from African dance and drumming (Magee, 1998). After the Civil War, marching bands and various groups of musicians began to incorporate these syncopated rhythms into their performance, which ultimately led to the creation of a new style of music.
In the 1880s, new jazz bands and ensembles began to emerge, specifically consisting of a more dominant African-American population (Magee, 1998). Clubs began to showcase the new sound; and eventually, bands began to travel across the country and spread jazz to all places in America. Places like New York and Chicago saw jazz first after departing from New Orleans (Jazz Origins, 2019). It wasn't long until jazz became a renowned style of music and helped influence the spark of various musicians and composers that would help continue to fuel its spread around the world.
STYLES OF JAZZ TIMELINE
EARLY JAZZ
(NEW ORLEANS/CHICAGO)
1920-1930
- Use of collective improvisation between all instruments
- New Orleans Style: cornet, clarinet, trombone, banjo, and tuba
- Chicago Style: adds saxophones, replaces banjo and tuba with string bass and guitar
Notable Musicians
Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Jelly Roll Morton
SWING/BIG BAND ERA
1930-1945
- Large ensembles, less improvisation, more written melodies and arrangements
- Sections for each group of instruments created
- Emphasis for showmanship and entertainment (uniforms, logos, band names)
Notable Musicians
Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lester Young
BEBOP
1945-1950
- Faster, upbeat speed, and the ends of notes are cut off for a new choppy effect
- More emphasis on the drum's hi-hat and ride cymbal pieces
- Longer solos and denser harmonies
Notable Musicians
Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk
COOL JAZZ
1950-1955
- Calm, slow, unhurried tempos (opposite to bebop)
- Smoother and softer dynamics within melodies
- Introduce brush tool for drummers, new instruments included flute, cello, oboe
Notable Musicians
Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond
HARD BOP/GROOVE
1955-1960
- Emotional emphasis introduced, influence of gospel music
- More modern and inventive chord progression, leading to funky and unheard sounds
- Melodies are simpler and more straight-forward than bebop
Notable Musicians
- Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus
References
“Jazz Origins in New Orleans.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 9 Sept. 2019, www.nps.gov/jazz/learn/historyculture/history_early.htm.
Jazz Style Periods (https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/wp-content/uploads/chord_charts/JAZZ_STYLE_PERIODS.pdf)
Magee, J. (1998). Ragtime and early jazz. In D. Nicholls (Ed.), The Cambridge History of American Music (pp. 388-417). Cambridge University Press.