Though many associate the birth of jazz music with the city of

New Orleans, its origin may be a bit more ambiguous. Like many

other musical forms, jazz evolved over a period of years. Many

believe its evolution took place over decades. It’s widely

agreed, however, that jazz music as we know it today was born in

the southern United States. It is also accepted that it developed

from a variety of different influences, culminating in a style

that became its own genre.

Jazz’s major influence probably came from African slaves brought

to the United States in the 1800s. In fact, African music

influenced many styles of music, including rock and roll. The

form that evolved into jazz consisted specifically of call-and-

response singing, syncopation and improvisation. Ragtime, which

may be considered a precursor to modern jazz, drew upon many of

these elements.

Ragtime music originated after the emancipation of African

slaves. The newfound freedom of slaves was bittersweet. Though

freedom was deserved and appreciated, there were few job

opportunities for freed slaves. Many had no means of self-

support, and some simply stayed on with their former owners.

Others supported themselves through musical performance. Often,

this meant performing in dubious locations, like brothels and

minstrel shows.

It was these types of venues that gave rise to ragtime, which

enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the late 19th and early

20th century. Talented ragtime musicians like Scott Joplin were

generally recognized much later for their contributions to modern

jazz.

Though ragtime only graced the music scene for a few years, it

influenced what would become referred to in 1915 as jazz music.

While the actual origin of the term is uncertain, the name stuck.

Cities like New Orleans have since become synonymous with jazz.

This is not necessarily because it originated there, but because

its musicians have added a distinct flavor to jazz music.

Dixieland jazz bands still largely dominate the musical culture

of New Orleans. Thanks to modern artists like Louis Armstrong,

Winton Marsalis and Miles Davis, Dixieland-style jazz continues

to enjoy mainstream popularity.

Once jazz music became labeled as such, more variations

developed. Swing was one of those, which saw its height in the

1930s. Swing greats like Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Glenn

Miller are still covered by today’s musicians. Although swing

isn’t the genre it once was, it still has a big following today.

Because of its early association with brothels and speakeasies,

jazz music had a stigma to overcome in its early years of

development. Eventually, jazz became an accepted art form. Today

jazz is embraced and taught as its own branch of music.

Jazz music is most distinguished from other musical forms for its

reliance upon improvisation. The best jazz musicians have gained

notoriety for their ability to play without the aid of written

music.

They are able to make up music on the spot and off-the-cuff. It’s

entirely possible for a song to be different every time it’s

performed. This may be one reason that jazz fans believe that the

most talented of the world’s musicians are not classical

musicians, but purveyors of jazz.