The Influence of Jazz in America - 1187 Words

Boom-ba-doom, boom-ba-doom-catz, the swinging back beat of the jazz percussionist, smooth but precise and within time. The pianists fingers flutter across the keys weightlessly, and so quickly you can only make out a blur. The trumpet and saxophone float across the top of the music hitting notes of all kinds, paying no attention to the idea of a key signature, and from no piece of paper no prewritten ideas. Instead, they play what they feel inside, because the very soul of jazz lives inside. Of all the musical instruments, the human voice expresses the most emotion. Anyone can play their own voice and that is exactly what the people of the 1920s did. Is there a connection between these instruments and life during the â€Å"Roaring Twenties?† Louis Armstrong said it best: â€Å"What we play is life† (Armstrong). Different instruments used in the jazz era are direct reflections of the feelings of the 1920s. Jazz is defined as a distinctive musical profile grounded in the swinging 4/4 time with the Blues as a touchstone. It is one of those things that is very hard to define because it includes so many different feelings. Louis Armstrong made this comment when asked what jazz is: â€Å"If you have to ask, you’ll never know† (Armstrong). There is up beat jazz and slow jazz, there is depressed jazz and energetic jazz, and there is everything in between. In a jazz band, the musical baton can be passed to any of its members and then he or she carries the bandShow MoreRelatedJazz Influence On America.3049 Words   |  13 PagesResearch Paper: Jazz influence on America Jazz is a genre of music that was first developed by African American within their communities around the late 19th to early 20th century in the United States. Since then, Jazz has gained a lot of respect and grown into a classic. The genre is now well known in music history and has experienced a mass musical development throughout the decades. Jazz was established and evolved alongside such musical categories as blues and popular music, but what changedRead MoreThe History and Influence of Jazz in America Essay example852 Words   |  4 PagesJazz is consider one of the most influential types of music an America History. Some of the greatest artist in the world have contribute to the success jazz have had not only on America History but throughout the world. This paper will explain the history of jazz, where it all came from and the effect it has had on the America Culture. Meltingpot.fortuecity.com states the in the 1930’s and 1940’s jazz was at it all time highest. Although it is unclear when jazz first started some believe jazzRead MoreAmerica s Original Music Form : The Influence Of Jazz2552 Words   |  11 PagesAmechi Nwandu Mr. Fernando Gomez American Literature 1 April 2015 America’s Original Music Form: The Influence of Jazz The creation of jazz at face value is normally credited to the minorities in the United States, mainly the African Americans, but was modified and adapted to be culturally and socially acceptable to the middle and upper classes of white Americans. 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In assessing the first two episodes of Ken Burns 2001 documentary, JAZZ, this essay will explore the history of jazz,Read MoreBlues and Jazz Influence Paper1698 Words   |  7 Pages The Influence of 1920 Blues and Jazz on Modern Music Mark Carter The Influence of 1920 Blues and Jazz on Modern Music This paper is will try to show how the music that started with singing of old songs by the slaves to influences the music that the world listens to today. Shaping the music of Rock and Roll, Country and Western, and Easy Listening that influences every aspect of society’s everyday life are Blues and Jazz. In an interview many years ago on television, heard by thisRead MoreEssay on Ragtime and Blues Influence on Jazz1377 Words   |  6 PagesOctober 14, 2011 Seeing Ragtime and Blues as Parents of Jazz Jazz is a music genre that has complex characteristics and history of development and thus many musicians and scholars face troubles in defining what jazz is. 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A mix of European harmony and African rhythm, blended with the current styles of the time such as ragtime and rhythm and blues, Jazz can be seen as an amalgamation of different cultures and has had huge influences on, and evolved concurrently with, American society in the past century. The birthplace of jazz is the subject of much more controversy