As we celebrate Black History month in 2008, we should give thought to one of the genres that is a contributor to Black History. ‘JAZZ.'
Webster defines the word “jazz” “as a kind of American music involving improvisation”.
In the early 1800s, African slaves brought their music to the United States and this music became the precursor of Jazz. These slaves were mostly from West Africa and used their music for songs to be sung during work or special rituals. In the early 1900s, a number of Black musicians learned how to play Western instruments, such as the violin, which they used to copy European dance music in their own single line style of dance. European-American burlesque popularized this music style in blackface performances combining syncopation with European harmonic accompaniment.
In the late 1800s, Emancipation did little to improve the opportunities for freed African-Americans. Segregation meant limited employment opportunities. Black musicians didn't have the opportunity to perform in most “upper-class” clubs and concert halls. They had to restrict themselves to entertaining at dances, minstrel shows, vaudeville and marching bands. Black pianists could only play in bars, cheap clubs and brothels.
The instruments used to compose jazz were the ones used in marching and dance bands, brass and reeds. Small bands of self-taught musicians, such as the Bolden Band of 1905, originated in New Orleans and they took this early form of jazz to the Black neighborhoods of the Deep South. Black musicians playing in vaudeville shows took this early form to western and northern cities of the United States.
Jazz can trace its origin to the Blues, Ragtime, marching bands and other African-American folk music. Jelly Roll Morton composed his “Jelly Roll Blues” in 1905 and was published in 1915 as the very first jazz arrangement in print. In 1922, Kid Ory's Original Creole Jazz band became the first black jazz band to record. There were more opportunities for White jazz bands but let's not forget Duke Ellington opened at the Cotton Club in 1927 in New York City and Earl Hines opened at the Grand Terrace Café in 1928. Their music had a great influence on the development of big band-style swing jazz.
In the late 1940s, New York City saw the birth of Cool Jazz. Cool Jazz was a mixture of the styling of White jazz musicians and Black bebop musicians. Miles Davis recorded his LP, Birth of the Cool, in 1957 from tracks originally recorded in 1949 and 1950. There are so many forms of jazz; Cool jazz, Hard bop, Free jazz, Latin jazz, Soul Jazz, Jazz Fusion and European Jazz. In the early 1950s, when segregation laws began to relax, more and more Black jazz players were playing in local clubs in New Mexico and other states of the Southwest.
But, most importantly, let us not forget the origin of Jazz: African-American folk music.