The History of Jazz Top Jazz Artists Culture of Jazz Instruments of Jazz Jazz Subgenres
Blues
The origins of jazz are largely based on blues which was rooted in African American spiritual music. It focuses on vocals but can also be instrumental although usually as a solo.
Swing
Swing became much more prominent from around 1935 to the mid 1940s. The music was performed by large bands and was very high-energy with dancers and soloists.
Dixieland
Dixieland was the first form of jazz that was developed in New Orleans before spreading to Europe. It was performed generally by small ensembles and involved a lot of improvisation.
Bebop
Bebop was created in the early 1940s. While swing was intended more for mainstream audiences, bebop was created to show the art of music. It had a high emphasis on solos with higher levels of complex playing.
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Joe Goodacre