Jazz

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As jazz has been around for nearly a 100 years, it can be very difficult to define.
Berendt defines jazz as a "form of art music which originated in the United States through the confrontation of blacks with European music”

The Jazz age was a movement that took place during the 1920s, or better know as the Roaring twenties, Jazz music and dance emerged with the introduction of radio and the end of the war. This era ended in the 1930s with the beginning of The Great Depression but has lived on in American pop culture for decades.

  

 Jazz has a number of key elements that make it jazz. But one element that is universally recognized is the use of improvisation. In jazz each performer with interpret the piece of music in their own way, rarely playing the composition exactly the same twice. It really depends upon the performer’s mood and personal experience.

Jazz band

Seeing a jazz musician perform is really an experience in itself, as a jazz musician may alter the melodies, harmonies or time signature at will. It’s all about the interactions with the audience.

Though jazz was not always so popular.It started to get a reputation as being immoral and many members of the older generations saw it as threatening the old values in culture and promoting the new decadent values of the 1920's. But even though jazz was harshly judged it still lives on today as one of the most influential musical movements. So much so that the 20th century was officially named "The jazz era"

Billie Holiday

Louis Armstrong

Count Basie





We still remember stars from that time such as Billie Holiday, John Coltraine, Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and many more.

Here is some of their performances..