The Evolution Of Jazz And The Jazz Age
opinionated Essay
1357 words
Jazz. One of the music genres that all but demolished its competition back in 1920s and for several decades after. It was so popular, it had its own period of time known as the “Jazz Age” in the 1920s. It was also home to some very famous artists like Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington. However, in the 21st century, it seems like no one really talks about jazz anymore. It has become one of the worst genres in terms of sales and it’s generally never talked about outside of certain social circles. So is Jazz dead? Or has the crowd just never given modern jazz a try? Do people just hold the idols from the 20s in such high regard that they don’t accept the new jazz? Or has the crowd just moved on? Many say Jazz is dead, however …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jazz was a popular music genre that demolished its competition back in the 1920s and for several decades after. it was home to dizzy gillespie, louis armstrong, and duke ellington.
- Argues that jazz has fallen from grace due to changing too much from the 1920s. the congo square was an open area where slaves could actually have a little fun.
- Explains that jazz and classic blues are early twentieth-century black music innovations, but certain characteristics found in jazz do have their roots in much earlier musical traditions.
- Explains that the core element of african music is its extraordinary richness of rhythmic content, which is the essence of jazz's musical heritage.
- Explains that the jazz age in the 1920s was the time when jazz became a big genre of music, and for the idols it introduced.
- Opines that musicians have been taught to idolize certain figures in music history, but it comes with a price for other musicians to pay. figures like duke ellington, louis armstrong, and dizzy gillespie have undergone apotheosis or an elevation to divine status.
- Explains that aspiring musicians view their idols with admiration because their music touches people in a way that others do not. understanding the extramusical world in which they lived helps people understand how those influences have imprinted themselves on the musicians the fans revere.
- Explains that tonal jazz is what most people think of when they hear the word "jazz". it is a vital tool for analyzing tonal music in general.
- Explains that jazz connoisseurs complain about the quality of contemporary jazz and talk about a golden era when "real" jazz thrived. it became one of the worst selling brands in the 1960s because of rock.
- Explains that people stopped dancing or singing to jazz around the 1940s, which coincided with the era of big band and swing.
- Opines that jazz is becoming more and more esoteric, and leaders have become self-indulgent and playing primarily for themselves rather than for the genre as a whole.
- Opines that jazz has had a bit of an uprising in the recent years, such as david bowie's selection of jazz-world veterans, and contemporary pop stars displaying jazz with pride.
- Opines that jazz is an interesting genre of music but to say whether or not it's dead is up to personal interpretation.
However, Jazz has always been changing. It all started with the Congo Square back in the 19th century. According to Ted Gioia, “the Congo Square was a place where slaves were able to take place in dances” (New York Times). The Congo Square was an open area where the slaves could actually have a little fun. Eventually the dancing wasn’t enough so they brought in music. Percussion and string instruments virtually identical to those characteristic of indigenous African music. Later documents add knowledge of the public slave dances in New Orleans but still leave many questions unanswered. There is one thing clear, the accounts of the Congo Square dances provide a with a real time and place and an actual transfer of the African ritual to the native soil of the New …show more content…
Tonal Jazz is what most people think of when they hear the word “jazz”. Including big-band swing, bebop, and the mainstream jazz that followed it, excluding music like modal jazz, free jazz, and various jazz fusion styles. Tonality is the arrangement of pitches and/or chords of a musical work in a hierarchy of perceived relations, stabilities, attractions and directionality. Tonal Jazz is a vital tool for analyzing tonal music in general. It also Leads to many productive insights into a wide variety of music. The character of a piece of music as determined by the key in which it is played or the relations between the notes of a scale or
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that jazz music was born simultaneously in different parts of the united states and had many sources for its creation. africans contributed to the style of making music, free rhythm, and the emotion with which they interpret their folk music.
- Explains that jazz music emerged from the mixing of blues and ragtime, but the main antecedents of the blues were from work songs and spiritual songs. african slaves worked on plantations between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.
- Explains that the "black spirituals" originated from religious meeting in the united states. africans accepted christianity, but accustomed their religious rites with songs and dances by introducing palms and rhythmic movements.
- Explains that new orleans was the only place in the united states where there was some "flexibility" to african slaves who were allowed to dance to the rhythm of real artisan percussion instruments.
- Explains that slavery was abolished in 1865, but that did not end the suffering of african americans. the end of the american civil war allowed the arrival of musical instruments from the military bands to the new free slaves.
- Explains that the ragtime is one of the first truly american musical forms and a great influence in the development of jazz.
- Explains how ragtime influenced the compositions of minstrel shows, which was the influence of african american musical traditions.
- Explains that regional styles contributed to the early development of jazz. the first musical movement commonly referred to as "jass" was developed in the new orleans area of louisiana.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that african american musicians from various european cultures created a new style of music, known as jazz, in the early 1900s.
- Compares the different styles of jazz and the performers who started/created them.
- Explains that they will focus on swing, behop, and free jazzswing jazz (1920’s).
- Explains that in the 1920s there was a move to form larger jazz bands (small orchestras), led by paul whiteman (1890-1967) and fletcher henderson (1897-1952).
- Explains that in the big bands of the 1930s and 1940s, music was actually arranged for the band and parts given out for performers to play. jazz players who could not read music were unable to join these bands.
- Explains that swing (also known as big band) refers to the style of jazz that was popular from roughly 1930 until around world war ii.
- Explains that a big band was popular during the swing era from the mid-1930s until the late 1940s and consists of approximately 12 to 25 musicians.
- Explains that big bands' music is highly "arranged" in advance and written down as sheet music. improvised solos may be played only when called for by the arranger.
- Explains the two distinct periods in the history of popular bands. the jazz and the dance forms were characterized by a sweet and romantic melody.
- Explains that jazz is sometimes monophonic — pieces often begin or end with an unaccompanied solo from one of the players (famously louis armstrong in "west end blues").
- Explains that the glenn miller orchestra is considered one of the greatest bands of all time.
870 wordsRead More - The History of Jazz Musicexplanatory essayThe History of Jazz Music If you truly want to appreciate the music you listen to, I would recommend that you study about it's Roots. It was a life changing experience for me to study about the music of the United States. I studied about Jazz, Blues, Ragtime, Spirituals and Gospel. It was Rather astonishing to see how this music is inter- related.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that their studies revealed to them that american music is jazz.
- Describes the styles of jazz, new orleans, or dixie, swing, b-bop, cool jazz.
- Describes the cool jazz style, which was related to bop but was calmer.
- Explains that jazz-rock came out in the late 1960's, a style of jazz that combined jazz and rock.
- Explains blues, where women were the main singers but had a group of males to accompany.
- Explains that scott joplin's favorite piece is "the entertainer."
- Explains that spiritual came about in the late 1700's. it was music that was created by the invisible.
- Opines that if you truly want to appreciate the music you listen to, they recommend that you study about it's roots. it was a life-changing experience for them.
- Explains that jazz was given in 1917 and it is said that this name originated from different sources including a whorehouse in new orleans.
- Explains the american roots of jazz are two folds, black and white.
- Explains that bandleaders were leaders of cool jazz, which were longer than b-bop works and relied more heavily on arrangements. boblicity (1949) by miles davis was one of the finest cool jazz works.
- Explains that jazz is written but it cannot be read and played, you must feel it. it has lots of flexibility in rhythm and pitch.
- Explains that blues became music art in 1890. it has no standard form and tells about life.
- Explains that ragtime is black music composed for piano and adapted to dance and marching band music.
- Explains that gospel music has its roots in folk spirituals, and is urban in nature. the blacks moved from the south to north and took the music of blues and jazz.
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- Opines that the negro national anthem and gospel music are love and healing. they are members of a predominantly black church.
- Explains that they enjoyed the studies about music of the united states of america.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that jazz is a syncopated, highly rhythmic music originated by southern blacks in the late 19th century.
- Explains that early jazz was played in small marching bands or by solo pianists. hymns, spirituals and blues were also played.
- Describes the earliest fully documented jazz style, centered in new orleans, louisiana. the trumpet carried melody, clarinet played showy countermelodies, and trombone played rhythmic slides.
- Describes louis armstrong as the first true virtuoso soloist of jazz. he was a dazzling improviser, and he set standards for all later jazz singers by creating scat singing.
- Explains the development of the big band can be credited to the achievement of duke ellington and his revolutionary song, "it don't mean a thing if it's not got that swing."
- Explains that a new style started in the early 1940's when musicians started experimenting with more complicated chord patterns and melodic ideas. this new approach became known as bebop or bop.
- Explains how jazz began to lose its reputation as a "lowdown" music, and gained acceptance among intellectuals and college students.
- States that jazz music was revolutionary and is still changing and improving, even today. the music world would not be the same without the influence of these amazing and breathtaking musicians.
546 wordsRead More - Impact of Music of the Harlem Renaissance Upon the Artists of Todayexplanatory essay...ty statement, some of the feelings and expressions that were used during the beginning of the era have diffused. With this jazz has become weaker, but well known. Jazz will always continue to have character. Jazz will always be art. Jazz will always have a story to tell.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the impact of music of the harlem renaissance on the artists of today. music in this era was the beginning of new life for musicians and african americans.
- Explains that the h.r (harlem renaissance) had many musicians who contributed to jazz, such as louis armstrong, coleman hawkins, bessie smith, josephine baker, duke ellington, and dizzie gillespie.
- Explains that jazz was created to rid of the restraints held against african americans. it was a section of music that is based on feeling.
- Explains that during the jazz era, many sections had broken away and created new identities for jazz. swing, blues, ragtime, and bebop were a couple.
- Explains that bebop music was characterized by fast tempos, complex harmonies and intricate melodies that laid down a steady beat only on the bass and drummer's ride cymbal.
- Explains that many musicians transitioned from swing jazz to bebop, including ray brown, charles migus, art blakey, kenny clarke, j.j. johnson, dizzy gillespie, and others.
- Explains the influence of the h.r. on musicians today, including john tesh, kenny g, carlos santana, and others.
- Opines that jazz musicians today would not fit in during the h.r era. jazz for african americans was their only way of breaking away from white america.
- Explains that jazz has introduced tons of famous musicians, including duke ellington and kenny g. both of these musical geniuses have helped develop and shape jazz.
- Describes edward (duke) ellington as the "godfather" of jazz. he was awarded the presidential medal of freedom and the legion of honor by the french government.
- Describes kenny g as one of the most sought-after special guest performers in the recording industry.
- Explains that jazz has been commercialized, influenced classical composers, and migrated from the united states to paris.
- Explains that jazz has changed, but the background behind it still inspires those today. jazz and bebop have grown and flourished across america and the world.
- Cites sources for net zero, 6-2-02, and windz, cary d. the harlem renaissance.
1614 wordsRead More