The history of jazz explained

Pete Stone - Freshman / Features

Over the course of the past century, jazz music and the influence of black culture has stemmed out into almost every musical genre in America today. While celebrating Black History Month, make sure to appreciate the history of the genre created by black musicians and the influence it has had on the modern sound of music.

To look at the beginning of jazz, you must go back to its roots. In the early 1900s, a new sound arose among the Black community. Characterized by “blue” notes and its melancholy undertones and themes, this genre came to be known as blues. Common instruments used in this genre include guitars, wind instruments, and brass. These instruments are specifically used because of their ability to bend their notes, giving the music a fresh and interesting sound.

After blues started to become an integral genre in the musical community, musician Ferdinand Joseph Lemott began to get creative and branch out to push the limits of blues and ragtime. In the 1920s, Lemott, who had received the nickname “Jelly Roll Morton,” discovered the genre we know today as jazz.

Throughout the 1900s, many names started becoming known around the jazz community. These notable figures started to create a much larger name for jazz music, like renowned artists Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, and Miles Davis.

Born in 1901 in New Orleans, Louis Armstrong was an essential part of forming jazz solos by giving certain band members spotlight during long, improvised sections in their musical pieces. Armstrong’s gravelly voice and exciting trumpet playing gave him a unique sound, making him extremely well known.

Although jazz was already one of the most popular music genres in previous years, it wasn’t until 1959, with Miles Davis’ critically acclaimed “Kind of Blue,” that studio recorded jazz albums became huge.

Once studio recorded jazz started to take off, a man named John Coltrane began to become well recognized among the jazz community. Coltrane was not only one of the lead artists in free jazz, but he also released many of the most well known jazz albums of all time, with the biggest example being “Giant Steps.”

In the modern era of music, jazz has had a large influence on many genres including hip-hop.. As the genre reached its peak in the 2010s, the inclusion of jazz is very notable. From the classics such as A Tribe Called Quest and The Roots to newer acts such as Tyler, the Creator and Kendrick Lamar, jazz-influenced rap has been evolving for decades.

Some of the most celebrated artists of the rock and pop genres were largely influenced by jazz and blues as well. Examples include some of the most influential artists and bands of all time, such as Elvis Presley, Pink Floyd and The Beatles.

Modern musicians are still learning new methods of improvisation and complex chord changes, keeping the genre fresh. With the amount of lives changed by jazz and the number of people who have dedicated their lives to the art form, it has become one of the largest and most influential genres of the last century. Jazz will most definitely continue to grow and be played around the world with its ever-changing sound and endless possibilities.