Jazz History

Did you know that jazz was born in the United States? Did you know that the drum set was invented by jazz musicians? Did you know that the word "cool" and "hip" were originally jazz terms?

Jazz represents a merging and melding of many different peoples and their heritages. During the 1800s in America's south, music was an integral part of the life of plantation slaves of African descent. Plantation songs, spirituals, and field hollers were a part of everyday life to celebrate, to mourn, to entertain, to commemorate, to worship, and to accompany the drudgery of work. This music of the plantations blended with the European-American musical tradition to create the basis for blues, ragtime, and other musical forms from which jazz evolved.

Jazz is an original American musical art form that originated around the start of the 20th century in communities in and around New Orleans.

Jazz developed in turn-of-the-century New Orleans from the confluence of multiple music traditions. The new style incorporated blue notes, call and response, syncopation, polyrhythms and improvisation.

The basic instruments of jazz were those used in marching bands and dance bands: brass, reeds and drums. Small bands of musicians, most of whom came from New Orleans, played a seminal role in the development and dissemination of early jazz.

The origins of the word Jazz are uncertain. The word is rooted in American slang, and various derivations have been suggested. Jazz was not applied to music until about 1915. Earl Hines, born in 1903 and later to become a celebrated "jazz" musician, used to claim that he was "playing piano before the word 'jazz' was even invented". For the origin and history of the word jazz, see Jazz (word).