History of Jazz Music

By Jeffrey Whalen, Yorktown

If you’re looking for some music history, look no further. Jeffrey Whalen from Yorktown was a jazz music teacher for many years and knows lots of history. Please enjoy this article on the history of jazz, in memory of Mr. Whalen.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a new direction in music appeared in America. Although the word "jazz" came into use only in 1912, this music, distinguished by volume, audacity, and violence, was heard on the streets of New Orleans at least ten years earlier. Jazz possessed unique rhythmic energy, which had never before been encountered in folk music. Also, fusion was bold and unpredictable - the same song sounded differently with each performance, and this only made the jazz more attractive. The musicians improvised, following inspiration and adapting the melody to the sounds of other instruments playing with them on stage.

Jazz harmoniously combined the elements of musical trends already existing in America at that time. He borrowed syncope from ragtime, his sensuality, and tonality from blues. The march has emotional depth, spirituality, and pressure. Musical instruments turned to jazz from wind and dance bands. This mixture gave a different result, which became the perfect accompaniment for the vibrant and hectic American life of the twentieth century.

According to legend, the first leader of the jazz orchestra, which gained popularity, was the African-American cornet player Charles "Buddy" Bolden (1877-1931). Still, not a single record with his performance has survived to this day. Many other New Orleans musicians found listeners to the new direction very soon, including Freddie Keppard, King Oliver, Jelly Roll Morton, Sydney Bechet, and, of course, Louis Armstrong.

Jazz quickly found fans far beyond New Orleans, traveling on boats on the Mississippi River and on trains that sent New Orleans musicians to Chicago, New York, California, and other US music centers. The proliferation of radio and the massive sale of records with jazz music - tens of millions of them were sold in the 1920s - ensured rapid growth in popularity for jazz. This music direction, invented by black representatives of the lower classes from the southern states of America, soon gained such success in all layers of American society that the 1920s are still referred to as the century of jazz.

New jazz options began to appear. In Chicago, jazz dominated the city's nightlife; its dance rhythms fascinated both the black and white populations. In Harlem, pianists played strides at private parties and social events. In Kansas City, a calmer, but persistent swing spread. In New York, George Gershwin combined elements of jazz and classical music, as in his famous Blue Rhapsody of 1924. Around the same time, Duke Ellington began recording his works, subsequently playing a vital role in the formation of jazz in big bands.

With the onset of the Great Depression, sales of records with jazz music fell, and for some time, it might seem that jazz would lose its fans. However, the massive popularity of big bands playing swing in the mid-30s gave jazz a new life. In 1935, America entered the Swing Era, which lasted until the end of World War II. The orchestras of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and other jazz musicians enjoyed great success and sold many records. During this period, Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Frank Sinatra had a significant influence on the performance of leading jazz compositions. Jazz again began to dominate the entertainment industry in America.

In the postwar years, a new direction appeared in jazz - bebop, or just bop. A new generation of progressive jazz musicians - including saxophonist Charlie Parker, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and pianist Thelonious Monk - played complex harmonies and experimented with new melodies phrase construction, their game was very fast-paced. This peculiar manner of performance was not very popular among the general public in comparison with the success that jazz had in the 1920s and 30s. However, it made it clear that jazz does not obey only the laws of show business.

In subsequent years, jazz regained its freedom rapidly developed. Miles Davis led a calmer direction, which appeared in the 50s and was called "cool jazz". But soon, Davis himself and other jazz musicians began to explore new possibilities. Thanks to the record company Blue Note Records, more incendiary and blues versions of modern jazz, often called hard-bop or soul-jazz (soul-jazz), began to spread. On the West Coast, in California, jazz remained calmer, more melodic. In the 1960s, modal jazz appeared, featuring a new approach to organizing music and atonality, as well as jazz fusion, which included elements of rock and electronic music.

Since then, jazz has continued to evolve, following the path of experimentation and streamlining. Outside the United States, jazz began to play soon after its emergence: the first European legend of jazz is considered to be the guitarist Django Reinhardt, which was already known in the 1930s. Soon, jazz became famous all over the world, and today every major city boasts its talented musicians, local jazz clubs, and knowledgeable fans. Jazz has found a place in educational institutions, and recently there have appeared institutions dedicated explicitly to jazz, for example, the Jazz at Lincoln Center concert hall, the Thelonius Monk Jazz Institute, and the non-profit organization SFJAZZ. Jeffrey Whalen always strived to promote the development of this art form and to do everything so that jazz continues to flourish in the 21st century.

Jeffrey Whalen lived in Yorktown Heights, NY with his wife and two sons. He grew up in Katonah, NY. Jeffrey Whalen graduated from John Jay High School in Cross River, NY. He went on to Boston, MA to receive dual undergraduate degrees in performance and music education from Berklee College of Music. Friends in high school and college affectionately called him "Al". Jeff Whalen also earned a master’s degree in performance with a concentration in jazz at SUNY Purchase College in Purchase, NY.

Please also visit Jeffrey Whalen from Yorktown

• s other websites, blogs and social media:

http://www.Jeffrey-Whalen.com

Brunson Stafford is the Ceo and Founder of Wbs Public Relations. You can find brunson on his websites, social media and blogs;