The word “Jazz” derives from the slang word “Jasm”, which originally meant energy, vitality, spirit and pep. The genre however, involves the playing of instruments like the drums. It takes a level of advanced talent, being able to improvise on the spot and being able to have sophisticated rhythm to correctly grasp the feeling of the intrument. This concept of improvising, syncopation, and rhythm stems from a specific genre that is Jazz. Jazz was a genre that was considered ‘underground’ in the 1950’s. You were a hipster if you listened to Jazz, and it was improper to listen to. At that time, you really only heard it around in nightclubs or ‘black’ neighbourhoods. I think society at the time has created a persona about Jazz in their minds, and it wasn’t a good one. All that considered, what is different about Jazz back then and Jazz now? These days, or at least in my mind, Jazz music takes a whole other level of talent to be able to play. You can even major in Jazz Studies at most universities. So why was Jazz shyed away from back in the day? We’re here to talk about just that. First, here’s a little backstory on the origins.

Depending on who’s talking, jazz can either mean a talent-filled music style, or little to nothing. The timeline of jazz is vague and disputed. It evolved from the fringes of the American society, and into one of the most influential musical movements of the 20th Century. The so-called ‘’birthplace” of Jazz was in New Orleans. It was quite a cosmopolitan city, with a more racially egalitarian look on society than the rest of the south. Musical trends started to develop there, that brought together West African traditions with the Western/European structures. 

Now that you know a little bit about jazz, let’s talk eras. We know that Jazz has been through a lot, starting at the late 1800s. But as we get into 1902, a man named Jelly Roll Morton ‘invented’ what we call jazz in that period of time. He did lots to popularize this genre in the New Orleans, and by 1926, this new music had travelled all the way to Chicago. The period between 1935-1946 was an era known as the “Swing Era”. Here we saw the demise of small, soloist bands, giving huge leeway to bigger bands, usually consisting of 18 or more musicians. We also see the concept of integration start to falter. Some of the biggest names in jazz, Duke Ellington, Count Base, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Benny Goodman, were the first to perform in a racially integrated band, in 1938. 

Although we talk about it like it is, Jazz isn’t just one type of music. It has smaller subcategories of music that it brought with it. “Bebop” started becoming popular around the 1940’s, and around this time was the first that audiences were starting to sit down and actually listen to the music. Jazz was transforming out of the stigma that it was only heard in dance halls, nightclubs and smoky bars. Jazz was becoming art. 

But it wasn’t all that easy. Just as “bebop” musicians were creating new ideas and getting the feel of the audience, the Musicians Union in the US created a ban on their recordings. For more than a year, starting in 1942, almost no jazz music was permitted to record. But as always change is constant in this world, and record labels came up with an idea to record a capella versions of popular songs at the time. Also during the ban, people had taken a liking to vocal pop, and obviously that hasn’t changed at all. From this split between vocal pop and jazz music, jazz starts to evolve quite fast. 

Around late 1950’s, Jazz musicians were moving into the complex “bebop” era. They called it “Hard Bop”. Cool jazz had more of a relaxed vibe, and musicians started to reject that. We see big names like Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, and Miles Davis start to push forward this new innovation of jazz music.“Hard Bop” is a type of jazz that is mixed ‘bebop’, R&B, gospel and is even influenced by a little Blues. It is now thought of the general default style of jazz that is practiced/taught around today’s world. This was also the time where people were returning from the war, paying off their housing and started to celebrating their winnings by listening to jazz. 

Fast forward 10 years, in the 1960’s we see the use of electronic instruments and the funk style gaining popularity. Jazz musicians jumped on these new trends, starting in 1968. 

Jazz continues to be modified day by day, and I genuinely don’t think that Jazz will ever be looked at as just one genre. Its been through so much as a heritage and I think its been a remarkable journey for the people of Jazz as well. The word “Jazz” hold a living, breathing tradition, capturing hundreds of music from all different countries, but influenced by local folk and always keeping up with our time.

As you may or may not know, I have a podcast; “Turn it Up”, where I talk all things music. My next episode, which is in the works right now, will take all this into consideration. Especially Jazz, as its been a huge part of my life. When I joined my school’s concert band, I heard about there also being a Jazz band. At that time, I don’t think I had the mentality to jump into Jazz, so I stayed away from it. It was scary for me to think of this fast speed, hard to read music, plus we were performing for an audience, that alone was enough for me to say no way Jose. But as I saw my peers start to join, I slowly started to think about this possibility. It was a sort of impulsive decision, but I jumped head first into a Jazz Band practice, and that was one of the best decisions I made. It taught me how to improvise on the drum kit, it taught me the different terms and language of jazz music, and I even adapted some of the jazz culture into me. There’s a piece of Jazz in the clothes I wear, the words I speak, and especially the music I listen too. For me, as coloured person, Jazz represents the trailblazing struggle that all the generations before went through just to prove themselves to society, but ended up finding who they were and who they wanted to be in the end.

Some of my favourite jazz musicians include the famous Frank Sinatra, Amy Whinehouse, Miles Davis, and a band called “Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band”. They are all on Spotify/Apple Music so if you get a chance, go check them out, along with many more other amazing Jazz artists of our age! Tell me in the comments who you’ve maybe discovered recently or an old time favourite you have, and maybe I’ll mention it on my newest podcast episode!