1. The Jazz Age - 1920’s “America’s most original music”
Originated: New Orleans, Louisiana
Definition: Complex, exciting African rhythms combined with European music to form a new, unique sound.
Instruments: Horns (saxophone), piano
History:
Late 1800’s: Former slaves from West Africa influenced by music from French and Spainish settlers create a new sound.

2. History (continued) African rhythms French & Spainish
Spirituals Folk songs
Work Songs Dances & Marches
1900: African Americans cannot read music - Southern Black Musicians “played as they felt…as the spirit moved them.”
1920: Brass Bands in New Orleans
Blacks expressing their newfound freedom
Played at carnivals, holidays, picnics, funerals

3. 1920’s: Jazz Bands & Dance Halls
History continued
1920’s: Jazz Bands & Dance Halls
Big name black musicians played swinging, free and easy feeling.
Oliver
Armstrong
Ellington
Big Bands
Younger musicians learned from the masters
Traveled to Northern cities (Chicago, NYC, and the West Coast)
Jazz heard on the radio, recordings

4. History continued: Dance Halls (Public) 1930’s & ‘40’s:
common people enjoy night out
the “Shimmy”, the “Charleston”, the “Foxtrot”
NYC had over 600 Dance Halls - some could hold 500 to 3000 dancers.
1930’s & ‘40’s:
Jazz evolved - highly entertaining.
Syncopated (begin a tone on an unaccented beat and continuing to the next accented beat)
Complex, hard to play, sometimes confusing to listen to.