

Classical music is completely written out for the musicians, and in pop, rock and country the music played in live performances is usually somewhat similar to the recorded versions.

Your browser does not support the audio element.Jazz music puts an emphasis on improvising, which is essentially making up ideas on the spot. Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.Take a ten question quiz about this page.Famous jazz singers include Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Nat "King" Cole, Billie Holiday, and Louis Armstrong.The United Nations named April 30th as the official International Jazz Day.Jazz dances included the Charleston, Black Bottom, the Shimmy, and the Trot.Typical jazz instruments include drums, guitar, piano, saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, trombone, and the double bass.


They included bands such as Kid Ory's Original Creole Jazz Band and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings as well as musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. The Jazz Age was a time when many jazz musicians and bands became famous. These clubs featured jazz music, dancing, and sold alcohol. During the Jazz Age, illegal clubs called "speakeasies" were opened all over the United States. This was also a time of prohibition when selling alcohol was illegal. Jazz was so popular in the 1920s that the time period is often called the "Jazz Age" by historians. In the 1920s, the center for jazz moved from New Orleans to Chicago and New York City. The music became more popular in the 1900s and took the country by storm in the 1920s. Jazz was invented by African-American musicians in New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 1800s. They improvise during their solo trying out new tricks and ideas to see what works. Usually, each musician gets the opportunity to solo during the song. There is an overriding melody and structure to the song, but the musicians play it differently each time. This is when the music is made up during the song. One of the most unique aspects of jazz is improvisation. The rhythms can shift and change throughout the song. Jazz bands can be unique in that they create rhythm from a wide variety of instruments. Jazz incorporates musical notes that are "bent" to create emotion in the music. It is a unique blend of many styles of music including gospel music, brass bands, African music, blues, and Spanish music. Jazz is an original style of American Music. US History Jazz History > US History 1900 to Present
