The History Of Jazz Music

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Kierra Montgomery

Music Appreciation 105

Jack Ray

February 21, 2013

Taking its rhythmic roots all the way to the shores of West Africa, Jazz music has had a great influence on the music we listen to today. Jazz music was created by African Americans and is considered to be the only original ‘American’ art form. Jazz itself has a very complex history that began on the southern plantations and is still alive today. Its history includes racial issues, the evolution of African American music, and a change in society.

In order to understand the history of jazz, one must know where the movement derived from. The birth of African American music began when West African slaves were brought over to America over 400 years ago. Along with them came their strong musical traditions. Their rhythms did not reflect those of the accustomed to the European ear. Instead, the rhythm reflected the African speech patterns. Music played an essential role in the slaves’ daily lives. In the field, the slaves would sing ‘work songs’ to help get them through the day; they would also use songs to warn each other of danger. The African slaves would perform rituals that used African-based dances with drums. [1] 

When the African slaves were forced to attend church, they eventually learned the harmonic styles of the hymns, and so they added it into their own music to create spirituals. Since Jazz is a mix of African and European melodies and instrumentals, it is easy to see why, in the early 19th century, a large number of black musicians learned how to play European instruments and incorporated them in their musical pieces. Another musical form that had an influence on jazz and African American music was Afro- Latin and Afro-Caribbean rhythmic motifs and patterns. [2] These forms started being incorporated into African American music until the late 19th century; Jelly Roll Morton considered this an essential ingredient of jazz.

The ending of slavery motivated African Americans to find new jobs and seek better lives. But segregation laws and high levels of racism limited their opportunities. Despite the obstacles, many African Americans were able to find jobs and entertainment, and musicians were able to perform in minstrel shows, bars, dances, clubs, and in vaudeville. [3] 

In the late 1800s, African American musicians began experimenting with a new type of music that they called rags. This type of music was totally improvised, and it consisted of a syncopated melody and a steady beat in the bass (Ferris 372). Ragtime pieces were normally played on a piano and contained multiple sections. These rags were played by informal street bands and even military bands. Not only did this new form of music interest America, but it also sparked an interest with Europe as well. The new musical style was first introduced to Paris by a traveling U.S. Marine band. French composer Claude Debussy became one of the first European composers to replicate his own version of a ragtime piece. [4] Ragtime really opened people up to a whole new world of how music can sound or be played.

Many ragtime composers, such as Scott Joplin, used African and Afro-Latin based rhythmic patterns along with European classical forms in their musical pieces. Some famous ragtime composers were Jelly Roll Morton, Tom Turpin, Joseph Lamb, and James Scott. The ragtime popularity lasted from about 1897-1918. One of the greatest ragtime hits ever made was Scott Joplin’s "Maple Leaf Rag" which was published in 1899; it gained popularity with both the black and white crowds (Ferris 372). Ragtime was one of the main influences of the early development of jazz.

Another key influence on the early development of jazz is the blues. Originating in the South, the blues was used as a form of expression by African Americans who were facing hard times. This unique form of music evolved from works songs, spirituals, field hollers, African traditions, and hymns. Blues was played in a strophic form and each verse had three lines, and since the text consisted many of "breaks", blues singers improvised by scatting (Ferris 374). Most blues songs had a sad mood and the lyrics had a direct message. On the other hand, piano blues, or boogie-woogie, was happy, upbeat, and had no lyrics. Some famous blues songs are Memphis Blues, The Thrill is Gone, and Crazy Blues. Blues is considered to be the foundation of Jazz and other major genres of music. [5] 

New Orleans was considered the ‘melting pot of sound’ in the early 20th century and it plays an important role in the history of jazz. Jazz composer Wynton Marsalis stated, "New Orleans had a great tradition of celebration. Opera, military marching bands, folk music, the blues, different types of church music, ragtime, echoes of traditional African drumming, and all of the dance styles that went with this music could be heard and seen throughout the city. When all of these kinds of music blended into one, jazz was born." [6] A lot of early jazz musicians, like Jelly Roll Morton, began their careers performing in New Orleans’ bars and brothels. Black musicians in this area started playing brass instruments and they formed small bands consisting of 5 to 7 players. The music of these new formed groups was mostly polyphonic and improvised, and their instruments included trumpets, trombones, saxophones, and percussion. Their music caught the attention of black and white Americans, and the bands played for parades, concerts, and even lavish funerals. [7] The most famous jazz musician from New Orleans was Louis Armstrong; he spent most of his early career performing in New Orleans, but he eventually moved to Chicago (Ferris 377).

By the 1920s, jazz had migrated from New Orleans to other parts of the U.S., especially the North. Not only did jazz spread to new cities, but it also spread to new groups of people. Chicago became a very popular place for jazz music and white jazz composers. During this time Chicago was booming economically and hopes of getting a record deal attracted jazz musicians from across the country. White musicians attempted to emulate the New Orleans jazz, but they also added their own touches to the music. Unlike New Orleans jazz, the white musicians’ jazz was bold and dramatic (Ferris 377).

Amongst many white jazz musicians was George Gershwin who composed his own symphonic jazz piece called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin did not focus on incorporating improvisation in his pieces, but instead his focus was on getting the general public to appreciate the sounds of jazz. To prove to Americans that jazz could contribute to concert music, Gershwin composed Rhapsody in Blue. This piece was able to be played by an orchestra rather than a jazz band due to its free form which

gave it a relaxed sound (Ferris 378). It is now considered to be one of the most famous American concert pieces.

Even though jazz was expanding very fast, it did meet many obstacles and criticism. Since prohibition and the Jazz Age coincided, 1920s-1930s, underground bars and clubs became popular venues for jazz performances. Also the cultural movement of jazz had an influence on the dress, language, and attitude of the young people of that era. Therefore, jazz was deemed immoral by members of the upper-class and older generations; they saw jazz as a threat to the old values of American life. Jazz was also attacked by the media that would criticize musician and make up lies about the effects of jazz music. [8] 

Despite the oppositions jazz faced, musicians continued to look for new ways to improve it and make the music even more dynamic. By the mid-1930, a new form of dance music, called swing, had become well-known across the country. The swing bands, or "big" jazz bands, normally consisted of 12 to 15 virtuoso soloists. Like early jazz, swing was mostly improvisatory; it also had a fast tempo, high rhythmic riffs, and a danceable beat (Ferris 378). Some key contributors to the development of the swing band, or "big jazz band", were Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller, and Earl Hines. [9] With the rise of swing, band leaders and band soloists became equally important, and the ability to read music became more necessary than it was with earlier jazz. There is a huge variety of instruments that are

played in a swing band; they include trumpets, saxophones, drums, a piano, and string bass. A few famous swing songs from that time are "It don’t mean a thing" by Duke Ellington, "Sing, Sing, Sing" by Benny Goodman, and "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller. Swing quickly became a favorite amongst the public and it opened doors for new styles of music.

Like America, Europe had also fallen in love with jazz music and had started some experimenting of its own. Django Reinhardt created gypsy jazz which was a mix of American swing, French dancehall "mussette", and Eastern European folk. In 1934, France also developed its own distinct form of jazz with the Quintette du Hot Club de France. [10] Unlike American composers, European composers often mixed timbres, distinctive rhythms, and jazz techniques together in their concerts. Igor Stravinsky, Darius Milhaud, Bela Bartok, and Maurice Ravel were a few of those composers incorporate jazz into their pieces (Ferris 378).

Along with great music, the Jazz era also produced excellent musicians who used their skills to forever change the musical world. One of those musicians, who is also considered today to be one of America’s most outstanding musicians, is Duke Ellington. Ellington was a composer, big band leader, and a pianist, and he was known for his exotic and unique jazz techniques. He composed many famous concert works, and he even came up with his own style of jazz called "American music". [11] He also came up with up with his own music techniques such as unusual dissonances and chromaticism (Ferris 380). Ellington was definitely a pioneer during his time; he created sounds and techniques that were unique to his time, but that would be adopted into modern day jazz. His career lasted from the 1930s to the 1970s, during this time gained international fame and he got to perform in many different countries. [12] He also composed not only jazz but, musicals, ballets, symphonic suites, and an opera.

In the 1940s, jazz started to become less of a "dance" music and more of a "listening" music. Musicians wanted to get away from swing and go back to the earlier ideals of jazz. Charlie "Bird" Parker and John "Dizzy" Gillespie were pioneers who helped bring jazz back the earlier ideals of jazz through a style called bebop. [13] Bebop had a highly dissonant combination of sounds, and, since it is meant to be heard instead of danced too, it used faster tempos. Ensembles for bebop were a lot smaller than the big jazz bands that played swing music, and they were more suited for concert halls than big jazz bands. Although bebop was considered to be the modern jazz, most people still preferred the danceable sound of swing and big band music (Ferris 380).

Other forms of jazz that was more suited for listening were cool jazz and free jazz. Developed during the 1950s, cool jazz was a new form of concert jazz that consisted of more lyrical melodies than bebop. Ensembles of cool jazz often used non-traditional jazz instruments like the cello, oboe, French horn, and flute. Free jazz did not follow the traditional form and structure of jazz; it allows improvisation to musicians in a manner independent of other ensemble members. Free jazz came about in the 1960s with the help of musicians like Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. Since there is little

focus on a regular beat or a steady tempo, free jazz normally ends up having a ‘random’ sound (Ferris 380).

More recently jazz has under gone some changes that are influenced by the development of new musical genres, new technology, and other cultures. Music from different countries such as Brazil, India, China, Arabia, and African countries started being incorporated into jazz music in the 1970s. Advancements in technology helped jazz evolve and allowed musicians experiment with new sounds, instruments, and new recording methods; a good example of how advancements in technology helped jazz evolve is when Anthony Braxton recorded a solo recording of a double album (Ferris 383). New electronic instruments and synthesizers were used by some jazz musicians to perform. [14] New musical genres like pop and rock often incorporated jazz techniques to make unique combinations.

Today, jazz remains an essential part in music history, and it is still alive and thriving. People continue to perform with the older jazz forms, but they also include their own twist to the music. Its complex history and dynamic sound and form should cause listeners to have a deeper understanding and appreciation for jazz music.

Reference Page

Music: The Art of Listening- Eighth Edition. Ferris, Jean. 2010. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. New York, NY.

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/history_of_jazz.htm

http://wikipedia.com/jazz_history