Jazz is a musical form, often improvisational, that was developed by African Americans and influenced by both European harmonic structure and African rhythms. It is often characterized by syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, and the use of original timbres. Learn more about its history and prominent musicians.
Jazz - Ragtime, Blues, Swing: In the early 1930s two bands made important contributions to jazz: Bennie Moten’s, with the recordings of “Toby,” “Lafayette,” and “Prince of Wails,” and the Casa Loma Orchestra, with “Casa Loma Stomp” and “San Sue Strut.” The Black Moten band had little immediate effect on the greater jazz scene, instead influencing an inner circle of Black ...
Latin jazz, a style of music that blends rhythms and percussion instruments of Cuba and the Spanish Caribbean with jazz and its fusion of European and African musical elements. Latin jazz was the result...
Jazz - Swing, Soloists, Improvisation: Major swing soloists also emerged in the 1930s—most notably tenor saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Ben Webster; pianists Art Tatum and Teddy Wilson; and singer Billie Holiday. Hawkins had left the Henderson band in 1933 for what turned out to be a six-year stay in Europe, during which he not only taught most Europeans about jazz and swing ...
Jazz - Orchestral, Improvisation, Swing: It was in the 1920s that the first forms of true orchestral jazz were developed, most significantly by Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington. Although large aggregations had begun to appear in the late teens, these were dance orchestras playing the popular songs and novelty pieces of the day, with nary a smattering of jazz. The credit for being the ...