Jazz. It is a musical style that was born at the beginning of the 20th century in the United States and that, in its origins, was an exclusive art of the black community . Jazz is as close to the United States as Flamenco is to Spain or rancheras to Mexico . It is, surely, the most characteristic cultural expression of this North American country.
Jazz Characteristics
Jazz interpreter.
The harmony and rhythms of jazz are very special. Jazz musicians knew, from the beginning, to give their creations a personal character that differentiated them from other musical styles.
It is a style that gives great freedom to the interpreters, but, at the same time, requires a deep knowledge of music and a lot of originality to develop it.
Since its inception, jazz has had many different branches, such as Blues , which descends directly from the songs of the black slaves that were brought to the United States, the boogie-woogie or ragtime, among others.
Jazz musical instruments
The typical jazz instruments are the Piano , the Contrabass , the Drums and the wind instruments: especially the Clarinet , the Trumpet , the Saxophone and the Trombone of sticks.
Also the Guitar , especially electric and acoustic, has played an important role, and with the passage of time, other instruments have joined this style, such as the violin or some electronic instruments.
The voice is another very important element of jazz, so that singers have been some of the great historical figures of this art. You just have to think of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday or the singer, but also a great trumpeter, Louis Armstrong .
Big bands are jazz orchestras. They developed throughout the 20th century, and used to have a star , either a singer or an instrumentalist, who gave the band its name. They were composed of the instruments mentioned above, but in large numbers.
Origins of Jazz
This music emerged at the beginning of the 20th century from the folklore of the African-American community, that is, from the descendants of African slaves who came to the United States during the previous three centuries. This origin explains its complex rhythms, its improvisational character and, in many cases, its melancholic expression in the slower pieces.
He also took elements from European music, especially in regard to musical ordering and harmony, and from various styles characteristic of different parts of the United States.
The various jazz trends were named after the cities where they came from. This is how jazz from New Orleans , Chicago or New York, emerged .
In the beginning, this music was only performed in small bars and clubs where exclusively clients from the black community attended. Over time, the great American jazz clubs were born, such as the Blue Note or the Cotton Club in New York, which opened their doors in the days of gangsters.
Jazz Evolution
The jazz that could be heard during the 1920s is very different from what emerged after World War II or from what is performed today.
The new musical style also influenced classical music, and composers such as George Gershwin brought it to the great concert halls. At the same time, some European authors, such as Igor Stravinski or Béla Bartók , included elements of jazz in their works.
In recent times, it has been mixed with other musical styles, giving rise to genres such as jazz-fusion, acid jazz or Latin jazz. However, there are still players who prefer to continue playing traditional jazz as always.
Great jazz musicians
Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries , great jazz performers have emerged in each of its variants and periods. Among the great singers of this style we can highlight Bessie Smith , Louis Armstrong , Billie Holliday , Ella Fitzgerald or Betty Carter .
Great jazz pianists have been (or are) Earl Fatha Hines , Art Tatum , Duke Ellington , Count Basie , Thelonious Monk , Herbie Hancock , Chick Corea , Keith Jarrett or the Spanish Tete Montoliú .
Among the many great saxophonists that jazz has given, we can now mention Coleman Hawkins , Lester Young , Charlie Parker , Sonny Rollins , John Coltrane Ornette Coleman , Joe Henderson or Branford Marsalis .
Memorable trumpeters were Louis Armstrong , Dizzy Gillespie or Miles Davis , and Wynton Marsalis is today , while the list of great performers should also include, for example, the clarinetist Benny Goodman or the percussionist Tito Puente .