The music that we call jazz was born around the year 1895 in New Orleans.It brought together the elemeats of ragtime, marching band music, and the blues.What made Jazz different frore the other earlier forms of music was the use ofimprovisation. Jazz represented a break from tradition music where a composerwrote an entire piece of music on paper, leaving the musicians to break their backsplaying exactly what was written on the score. In a Jazz piece, however, thesong is simply a starting point, or sort of a starting point for the Jazz musicians toimprovise around. The song being played may have been popular and well-knownthat the musicians themselves didn't compose, but once they had finished, the Jazzmusicians had more or less written a new piece of music that bore little resemblanceto the original piece. Actually, many of these early musicians were bad sight readersand some couldn't even read music at all. Regardless, their superb playing amazedaudiences and the upbeat music they played was a different but perfect escape fromthe traditional music of that time.
　　 The first Jazz is thought to have been played by African Americans and Creolemusicians in New Orleans. Buddy Bolden. a cornet player, is generally considered tobe the first real jazz musician, possessing au incredible sound." Other early playersof the time included Freddie Keppard. Bunk Johnson. and Clarence Williams."Most of these musicians may seem unknown to most people, but their ideas are stillaffecting the way Jazz is being played today. Generally these early musicians coulduot make very much money and worked menial jobs to make a living The secondwave of New Orleans Jazz musicians include such players as Joe Oliver. Kid Oryand Jelly Roll Morton. These men formed small bands and took the music of earliermusicians, improved its complexity, and gained greater success.
　　 A young cornet player by the name of Louis Armstrong was discovered byJoe Oliver in New Orleans. He soon grew to become one of the greatest and mostsuccessful musicians of all time. and later one of the biggest stars in the world. Theimpact of Arrestrong 'and other early Jazz musicians changed the way we look atmusic, and their work will forever be studied and admired.
　　Late 1800s—Today
　　The Blues
　　Born in the South_ the blues is an African American-derived music form that recognized the pain of lost love andinjustice and gave expression to the victory of outlasting abroken heart and facing down .adversity.The blues evolved from hymns, work "songs, and field hollers music used to accompany spiritual, work and social"fuuctions. Blues is the foundation .of jazz as ~vell as the prime source of rhythmand blues, rock'n'roll. and country music. The blues is still evolving and is stillwidely played today.
　　1901Louis Armstrong is
　　born: The JazzOriginal
　　 "Through hisclear,warm sound,unbelievable sense ofswing, perfed grasp of harmony, andsupremely intelligentand melodic improwsations, he taught us all to play jazz"—WyntonMarsalis
　　 Louis Armstrong was one of the most influential artistsin the history of music. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, onAugust 4, 1901, he began playing the cornet at the age of13. Armstrong perfected the improvised jazz solo. BeforeArmstrong, Dixieland was the style of jazz that everyonewas playing. This was a style that featured collectiveimprovisation where everyone soloed at once. Armstrongdeveloped the idea of musicians playing during brews thatexpanded into musicians playing individual solos. Thisbecame the norm. Affectionately known as "Pops", Louiswas loved and admired throughout the world. He died inNew York City on July 6, 1971.
　　Mid-1930s
　　Swing: Sound in Motion
　　Swing ls the basic rhythim of iazz Swinging meansbeing in sync with other people and lovlng it Swing as ajazz style first appeared durlng thc Grear Depression.Theoptlmtstm fccIing of swlng lincd the sptits of everyone inAmerlca.By the mid-1930s，a penod known as the“swing”era．swing dancmg had become Amenca’s natlona]dante andbig bands were playing this style of music
　　1940s
　　Bebop: The Summit of Sound
　　"If you really understand the meaning of bebop, youunderstand the meaning of freedom "—Thelonious Monk,pianist and composer
　　 In the early 1940s, jazz musicians were looking fornew directions to explore. A new style of jazz was born,called bebop, had fast tempos, intricate melodies, andcomplex harmonies.Bebop was considered jazz forintellectuals. No longer were there huge big bands, butsmaller groups that did not play for dancing audiences butfor listening audiences.
　　1950s
　　Latin and Afro-Cuban Jazz: Beyond theBorders
　　"Afro-Cuban jazz celebrates a colledtive musical historyThrough its percussive beat. it unites ragtime, blues, swing, andthe various grooves of Cuban music. It proclaims our sharedmusical heritage—Wynton Marsalis
　　 The combination of African, Spanish, and nativecultures in Latin America created a unique body of musicand dance. In the 1940s and 1950s, when musiciansfrom Cuba began to play with jazz musicians in NewYork, the circle was complete. By combining the musicaltraditions of North, South, and Central America, Latinjazz celebrates our musical differences and helps us tofind a common ground.