Jazz – The Evergreen Genre
Rooted in African American history and tradition, jazz is an amalgamation of Latin groove, European classical and African folk music. Born in the marching bands and night clubs of New Orleans, the genre rapidly evolved and morphed into blues, rock and roll, R&B, hip-hop and more. Never staying stagnant for long, it effectively laid the foundation for modern American music.
Characterized by its complex chords, swung and syncopated rhythms, call-and-response techniques and improvisation, traditional jazz offered a fresh style of music that allowed for more collaboration and improvisation. It defined the nightlife of the South during the 1920s, and audiences flocked to clubs and venues to witness the chaotic and emotional performances each night. Very quickly, jazz found its way into the mainstream as artists like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald rose to fame while helping to create and define the new genre. Throughout the rest of the 20th century, jazz continued to evolve alongside American culture, taking new shapes during the funk and groove movement of the ‘60s and the rapid rise of hip-hop in the ‘90s.
Today, many consider jazz to be a dying genre, but a new wave of jazz musicians are proving otherwise. Samara Joy, a 25-year-old jazz singer who won Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards, has sparked a resurgence in popularity of vocal jazz classics while also showcasing her dynamic original music. Other artists like Esperanza Spalding and Jazzmeia Horn have also been doing their part to uphold and protect jazz culture by blending traditional melodies with modern techniques. There are also artists who assimilate jazz with other genres to create unique tunes, such as Laufey who leans more classical, and Beabadoobee who has recently shifted to an alt-rock focus in her music.
Hip-hop is where we see the most jazz influence to modern music, but few realize just how alike they really are, both culturally and sonically. Both genres arose in retaliation against racism in America. Jazz reflected the social conditions and effects of slavery in the 1800s, and later hip-hop responded to the challenges faced by Black inner-city residents in the 1970s. While the two genres produce dramatically different sounds, many hip-hop artists are inspired by the beats and themes of jazz, and will often directly sample R&B or funk pieces. Both genres place a heavy emphasis on calling attention to social conditions and creating community among marginalized groups.
Despite the genre evolving and shifting constantly over the last century, improvisation has remained a key factor in jazz and jazz-adjacent genres. Every time a jazz band steps on stage, they have the opportunity to play a piece that has never been heard before, and may never be heard again. Performers rely on the ability to trust each other and wordlessly communicate about the constantly moving pieces on stage. This has resulted in cultural values of connection: connection between pianist and drummer, composer and performer, and audience and musician across American music, and especially inside jazz clubs.