By ‘Mr Rhythm and Views’ –
African American music has tremendously impacted world music, influencing and shaping various music genres and styles. One prominent example of an African American genre of music that has contributed significantly to world music is Jazz.
Growing up in the mid-1960s listening to my father play his Blues & Soul; Count Basis, Duke Ellington and Louis Jordan among others, in our in our front room (best room).
It wasn’t long before I fell in love with Jazz music in the early 1970s and have been in love with this musical genre ever since.
Ronnie Laws’ Every Generation; Grover Washington Jr.’s Mister Magic; Gil Scott Heron’s In the Bottle; Nancy Wilson’s Don’t Ask My Neighbour, and Donald Byrd & 125th Street’s N.Y.C. – I Love Your Love, inspired me to learn more about jazz music and cemented my love for the genre to present day.
Origins
Jazz is a uniquely American genre of music that emerged in the early 20th century, drawing from various musical traditions, including African, European, and Caribbean.
Jazz is characterised by its improvisational style, complex harmonies, and syncopated rhythms. At the 2013 International Jazz Day Global Concert, jazz legend Herbie Hancock stated: “Jazz is a conversation. It’s a conversation between musicians, a conversation between instruments, a conversation between cultures.”
You only have to listen to Duke Ellington & the Orchestra’s Take the A Train from one of the most prolific composers and bandleaders who significantly helped shape the sound of Jazz in the early 20th century, to Brass Construction’s Movin’ to appreciate and understand what Mr Hancock is stating fully.
60’s Virtuosos
Known as the Father of Jazz, Louis Armstrong was a virtuoso trumpeter and vocalist who helped popularise Jazz and influenced countless musicians with his distinctive style.
One of Armstrong’s well-known tracks was What a Wonderful World in 1967, which topped the UK pop charts and was the biggest-selling single in April 1968, spanning four weeks at number one in the UK music charts.
If you want to hear perfection, sung by the greatest woman of all time (GWOAT) and one of the most celebrated vocalists in jazz history, Ella Fitzgerald’s 1957 rendition of Summertime with Louis Armstrong.
Fitzgerald’s crystal-clear tone and impeccable phrasing helped set new standards for jazz singing, broke racial boundaries and inspired countless musicians.
Humanity’s Music
Jazz is a symbol of cultural diversity, inclusion, humanitarianism, and a vehicle for artistic expression, which has played an essential role in promoting intercultural and cross-cultural understanding and dialogue.
The genre has been associated with social and political movements, such as the Civil Rights movement in the United States and the Anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and Britain.
Strange Fruit by Billie Holiday and Mannenberg by Abdullah Ibrahim were two influential jazz tracks that influenced the Civil Rights Movement and the Anti-Apartheid Movement, respectively.
One of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, master trumpeter Miles Davis’ So What, released in 1959, with his innovative experimentation and playing style, pushed the boundaries of what is possible when playing Jazz.
Saxophonist John Coltrane’s classic Giant Steps from 1959 inspired a generation of jazz musicians to create sub-genres of jazz music.
Wider Influence
A lexicon of jazz genres and styles includes Blues, soul, funk, Latin Jazz, Free Jazz, avant-garde, swing era, New Orleans jazz, Dixieland, jazz fusion, ECM, bebop era, West Coast jazz, third stream, post-bop, acid jazz, jazz-rock, gipsy jazz, Bossa nova, samba, and Afro-Cuban jazz.
Jazz music also significantly impacted European music, inspiring the development of various jazz-influenced genres, such as bebop, cool Jazz, and free Jazz.
Jazz is one African American genre of music that has had a significant impact on world music, contributing to the development of numerous styles and genres and promoting cultural exchange, togetherness and understanding for people worldwide.
Sources for the information in this article include:
- National Museum of African American History and Culture – https://nmaahc.si.edu/ This museum, located in Washington, DC, explores the history and culture of African Americans. It includes music exhibits, including jazz, blues, and hip-hop.
- Black Music Scholar – https://blackmusicscholar.com/ This website provides resources and information for scholars and students of African American music. It includes articles, interviews, reviews, and a directory of scholars and resources.