Origins of Jazz Music

There are a lot of people nowadays who enjoythen succeeded by the hard bop or the neo-bop.
great jazz music. In fact, almost every home hasThen, there was the third stream and the
somebody who loves to listen to its cool rhythm andmainstream modern and the jazz type that a lot of
its moving beat. However, jazz music did not comepeople like to dance, which is the Latin jazz. Of
along that easy since it all started. In fact, based oncourse, rock and roll also made its influence on this
the origin of jazz, this type of music genre had itsmusic genre with the coming out of the jazz rock,
share of low times before it hit the popularity spot.which was followed lastly by the avant-garde or
While jazz is now being enjoyed by a lot of people,what is commonly known as the free jazz.
there was a time in its history when it was not asThe origin of jazz actually started out in the later
accepted as it is today.years of the 19th century and this was derived from
Somehow, the popularity of jazz or its unpopularitythe work songs of the blacks, their sorrow songs,
at the onset had to do with its being clearly identifiedtheir field shouts, their hymns and their spiritual songs,
as black music. But now, when the issues of racialthe melodic, rhythmic and harmonic elements of
discrimination is slowly starting to wane, anyone canwhich were seen to have been dominated by African
say that jazz music, which is being played not only byinfluence. However, because it was seen as a music
black people but also by white, is here to stay.genre that was improvisational, emotional and
In general, the origin of jazz was believed to havespontaneous in nature and because it was mainly
started in New Orleans before it spread to Chicagoassociated with the blacks, jazz did not garner the
and then on to Kansas City, then to New York Citylevel of recognition that it deserved.
and finally the West Coast area. Both the vocals andIt was the European audiences that showed warmer
the instrumental sides of the blues are known to bereception to jazz, making the jazz musicians of
essential components that we can still predominantlyAmerica go to this country to work on their trade.
see in this music genre today. There have been andJazz only gained a wider audience when adaptations
there still are many types of the genre and this wasor imitations of it were made by white orchestras. It
all started with the ragtime that officially started inwas in the later part of the 1930's when it was
New Orleans or what is also known as the Dixielandknown to have become a legitimate entertainment
jazz. Then, after this, there came the swing jazz,and this was when Benny Goodman initiated concerts
which was also known as the bop or bebop. Cool orat the Carnegie hall of groups having mixed racial
progressive jazz followed thereafter, which was alsoorigins.