Over the past several decades, there has been a great decline in the popularity of jazz music. The “Decline of Jazz” has fueled a debate as to whether or not the genre is “dead.” Many music scholars and fans argue that jazz’s popularity is declining because the people who appreciate the music are aging and newer generations do not share their love of the music. For as long as I can remember, my parents have played jazz music in our home, while cooking meals together, or entertaining guests, or reading on a Sunday morning. My familiarity with the music from a young age is what caused me to start singing songs from artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone. Jazz served as the foundation for my love and appreciation of music, both old and new, which is why I believe there is a place for jazz in the future. Over the past century, jazz music has evolved immensely—so much so that some people mistake the genre’s evolution for complete disappearance. But jazz is not dead. Instead, it has been woven together with other genres, such as rock and pop, and embraced new sounds and techniques that make it difficult for people to recognize as jazz.
The musicians who have expressed a deep love and passion for the music are the ones who have kept jazz alive. When jazz was first being played, the fame or the money that accompanied the music’s rising popularity did not motivate musicians. They played purely out of love for the music and the message it communicated to audiences. “In the jazz
The 1960’s were arguably the most influential years in American music’s history. The music helped connect people of all races, whom enjoyed visiting jazz-clubs in the early to mid-60s, to listen to the music and poetry performed by African-Americans. Much of the music from the 1960s also led to the creation and popularization of new genres and subgenres, such as rock-and-roll. These new music styles influenced the lifestyles of a large majority of Americans, particularly teenagers and young-adults, who mimicked the lifestyles of many stars of the time.
The Jazz Age was a period of radical behavior and care free living. This new music structure started the crazy decade that would change American life. “In the US during the 1920s, jazz was far more than a new musical style or genre”. A Focus on culture, fashion, and mostly freedom became huge. “The Jazz Age became a touchstone for a wide range of social and cultural issues.”1 Also the freedom during the period allowed for many different ethnicities, including African Americans, to gain freedom within society. This new music
The future of jazz lies in the music’s spontaneity and liveliness. Aspects of the music, that have been there since its conception, such as improvisation, make it forever subject to change, which is what the music needs. The jazz music that is being created today is far from what the public expects to hear in music. It will not be popular, but it stands a very good chance of being excellent music. “Change in jazz is inevitable because, like language, communities change, provide new contexts that require new expressions, or find new ways of doing things” (Nicholson 71).
The music called Jazz was born sometime around 1895 in New Orleans. It combined elements of Ragtime, marching band music and Blues. What made Jazz such a different perspective of traditional music was its act of improvising. There was a widespread use of improvisation often by more than one player at a time. Songwriters would write the music down on a piece of paper, and then the Jazz musicians would try their best to play the music. Usually in a Jazz piece, musicians would use the song as a starting point to improvise around. Jazz musicians would play a familiar song to the audience, and by the time they were done with the piece they would stir up a totally different feeling away from the
Thesis: Although Jazz music was first introduced over 80 years ago, the genre still influences artists and the new music they make to this day.
Jazz to me is one of the inherent expressions of Negro Life in America: the eternal tom-tom beating in the Negro soul—the tom-tom of revolt against weariness in a white world, a world of subway trains, and work, work, work; the tom-tom of joy and laughter, and pain swallowed in a smile. Yet the Philadelphia clubwoman… turns up her nose at jazz and all its manifestations—likewise almost anything else distinctly racial…She wants the artist to flatter her, to make the white world believe that all Negroes are as smug as near white in smug as she wants to be. But, to my mind, it is the duty of the younger Negro artist …to change through the hidden force of his art that old whispering “I want to be white,” hidden in the aspirations of his people, to “Why should I want to be white? I am Negro—and beautiful.”
From its inception, Jazz has applied both innovative approaches in different degrees and boundless configuration. And has continually amplified, progress, and modify music through various distinctive episodes of growth. So, an all-encompassing denotation of jazz is likely vain. Additionally, jazz as a music whose prime attribute was “improvisation,” for example, revealed to be too regulated and chiefly false. Meanwhile composition, adaptation, and ensembles have also been imperative constituent of Jazz (for most of its backstory). Furthermore, “syncopation” and “swing,” often viewed as important and distinctive to jazz, are certainly lacking the genuineness of it, whether of the 1920s (or of later decades). However, the prolonged perception that swing could not transpire without syncopation was utterly refuted when trumpeter Louis Armstrong often produced vast swing while playing repeated, and unsyncopated quarter notes (Armstrong, L., Fitzgerald, E., & Middleton, V. (1988). Satchmo. Gong.)
Out of the streets of New Orleans, a new form of music arose. This new type of music was not known as African or European, but simply American. It was jazz. In 1900 jazz first developed, but it wasn’t until the
Picture this: the year is 1926 and you are walking down the street in downtown Chicago. You pass a crowded club, where you hear the upbeat and speedy rhythms of music pouring out. The sound consumes you, fills you with joy, and persuades you to dance. You walk into the club to find numerous people swinging and tossing themselves around each other, enjoying the fast-paced and boisterous music. This is the appearance of jazz music, and in the early 20th century, jazz music swept the nation. With artists like Jelly Roll Morton, Joe King Oliver, Sidney Bichet , Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, jazz filled the souls of Americans, promoting a free and fun lifestyle. Although these artists had different beginnings,
If you truly want to appreciate the music you listen to, I would recommend that you
Music is one of the important art fields. It has a powerful effect on the people, communities and even countries. The leaders and pioneers in music fields have sometimes the spirituous effecting power more than many politicians. People all the time remembering those pioneers and feels very grateful towards them. Jazz is one of the most influential music genres of all time around the world. Jazz has many pioneers, but has one king “Louis Armstrong”. He was one of the most powerful trumpeters in jazz music. He was a great singer in the same time. In fact, Armstrong was one of the most powerful figures musicians in the history of American jazz. Moreover, he had known for his creativeness skills in music; he had different solo and modern rhythm,
Jazz is a music genre that has complex characteristics and history of development and thus many musicians and scholars face troubles in defining what jazz is. In general, jazz is believed to have born in New Orleans. Jazz developed for the pleasure of the social dancers. According to the “Understanding Jazz: What Is Jazz?” of John F. Kennedy center for the Performing Arts, Jazz was created mainly by Afro-Americans, and had elements of European and Afro-American culture. Also, it emphasizes few elements of Jazz, which are swing-feel, syncopation, and improvisation. These different culture and elements of jazz may be explained by how jazz
Jazz is consider one of the most influential types of music an America History. Some of the greatest artist in the world have contribute to the success jazz have had not only on America History but throughout the world. This paper will explain the history of jazz, where it all came from and the effect it has had on the America Culture.
Have you ever heard of Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars? The Red Shoes by IU? Both of these songs sprout from a genre that everyone has heard of at least one time in some point of their lives: jazz. Jazz is a genre that started out in the early 20th century by communities of African Americans, which soon became the “pop music” of the time period. However, jazz has been declining in popularity as other genres (especially pop) started developing, and conservative efforts haven’t proved to be very effective. Jazz is a genre of art, influence, and variety, and actions need to be taken to preserve such a rich genre of music.
The mystery of Jazz and its powerful impact on the music community can be explained largely by the context of it’s creation. Jazz was born in the United States, and because of this, many have referred to Jazz as “America’s music.” Like America, Jazz has a balance between structure and spontaneity. It capitalizes on the fluidity of the musicians, having several different instruments with independent spirits, coming together as one to form a great piece of music. Unlike other styles of music, Jazz has a certain way about it that makes it stand-alone in the world of genres. It improvises, moves, and transforms itself in a moment’s notice based on the musician’s intuition. Just as America harbors democracy, so too does a jazz ensemble, showing both the responsibility to a larger group, yet still allowing room for individual freedom. It all comes down to how well others can respect the overall framework and structure of the jingle.