Jazz and its evolution throughout the years

Music over the decades has been morphed, adjusted, and revolutionized by many talents. One of the most significant participants of evolved musical styles is jazz, with a deep and knowledgeable history. More than two centuries ago, the genre found its start in African cultures. Ever since the style etched itself into music history as a form of artistic expression.

Jazz music was woven into the fibers of New Orleans, Louisiana, by African American communities in the 1920s. It was a result of many different contributions, such as trumpeter Louis Armstrong, acclaimed as the “father of jazz” after passing in 1971. Similarly, African American bandleader Buddy Bolden is known to be “the first man of jazz” of the 1890s. Despite their titles as jazz’s creators, the first jazz song to be recorded was Livery Stable Blues in February of 1917 by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, marking the beginning of the genre’s ongoing journey.

Multiple elements and other varieties of music combine to produce jazz, most notably the relationship between improvisation and diversity in expressing creative freedom. It relies on instruments akin to those performed in blues or swing, such as the saxophone, trombone, trumpet, drums, piano, bass, and guitar. Cooperation is crucial, as the musicians’ sounds complement one another rather than play over themselves. This rule has invented a phenomenon known as response vocals, where a voice or instrument will answer another.

The genre peaked in the 1910s-20s, recognized as the jazz age. Many known jazz musicians began entering bands and rose to fame, such as Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Armstrong had left the Fletcher Henderson dance band to pursue the genre from the perspective of soloists and arrangements, which had gained popularity for the unique style, before starting a band of his own with his family. The pieces composed during this era have influenced youthful America with its distinctive flair for the years to come.

The rise of swing arose as jazz was predominant in the 1930s, and New York City replaced New Orleans as the national jazz hub. The birth of an Afro-American music subgenre called bebop occurred, where the intent leaned more toward listening than dance. From the ’50s through the ’70s, there was an abundance of jazz subgenres like soft soul jazz, chaotic free jazz, improvised modal jazz, Latin jazz, jazz funk, or “groove.” As the genre popularized, musical talents continued to reshape its form and evolve the definition of jazz altogether.

There is still no officially recognized version of jazz, with a myriad of variations to enjoy. As it aged, so did their once lively musicians, and they welcomed younger generations with open arms, contributing to the efforts to keep the art thriving. The conservative sounds of the earlier days are still alive, but everyone will continue to have their take. Today, it is still recorded and played around the globe, bringing together communities of all types.

Written by Isabella Cournyea | Graphic Designed by Isabella Cournyea

Published September 22, 2022 | ePathfinder | Feature