International Jazz Day

“Jazz music is the power of now. There is no script. It’s conversation. The emotion is given to you by musicians as they make split-second decisions to fulfill what they feel the moment requires.” Wynton Marsalis. Did you know there is an International Day for Jazz? April 30 is International Jazz Day. The day is commemorated globally to promote dialogue, tolerance and peace through music. Jazz is a famous music genre that started in America’s New Orleans. Jazz music is extremely flexible and is closely related to the blues music genre. Jazz is rather soothing; listening to this genre of music is the ultimate relaxation one could ask for. Unlike some other genres of music with disturbing and distasteful lyrics, the genre of Jazz music is sheer sophistication and suitable for the entire family to enjoy. Some of the most popular jazz artists include Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald. History of Jazz Jazz Observer gives a comprehensive history of Jazz. Jazz is said to have originated in the year 1895. Multiple jazz musicians have talked about the influence of jazz music in society. Additionally, studies have shown that listening to jazz can help increase creativity and reduce stress. Where did jazz originate? Jazz originated in New Orleans in the second half of the 19th century. A port city, New Orleans had people coming in from around the world, socializing, and sharing their music. Music from all over the world could be heard in the streets of New Orleans. New Orleans was also one of the only places in America that permitted slaves to own drums. West Africa, the birthplace of many slaves, was home to rich musical traditions which continued in the songs and field chants of the America’s slaves. When slavery was abolished and the American Civil War ended (1865), many former slaves found jobs as musicians, exposing them to other musical styles from around the world. Jazz was born into this new world of emancipation and freedom, stimulating a spirit of experimentation and expression which would be key elements to jazz. Jazz is often thought of as being founded on the musical traditions of West Africa (rhythm, “feel”, blues) and Europe (harmonic chords, variety of instruments). Early jazz also incorporated church hymns, slave songs, field chants, and Cuban-style rhythm. However, jazz didn’t get it’s big break until the 1890s when “ragtime”, a precursor to jazz, started to catch the ear of white Americans. The most famous of the artists at the time was Scott Joplin who composed 44 original ragtime pieces before his death in 1917. It was around this time that other artists started to add in improvisation to the sound, a crucial component of what would become modern jazz. The Jazz age really started in the 1920s when the music became popular across the US and Europe. The “Roaring Twenties” with prohibition, speakeasies, flappers and music drove jazz into the mainstream and made overnight success stories of black musicians such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie. The Jazz Observer added that the age of Jazz culminated in the historic 1938 Benny Goodman concert at Carnegie Hall, bringing together musicians from various ethnicities to perform jazz inside this hallowed hall. At this point, the jazz of the 1920s and 30s was already starting to give way to the Big Band era although musicians such as Ellington and Armstrong would continue to develop jazz until their deaths. Among the greatest jazz albums of all times are Miles Davis album, ‘Kind of Blue’ and John Coltrane ‘A Love Supreme’. I am sure many of you are not familiar with these two timeless masterpieces. What better time to get familiar with some exceptional jazz music. https://youtu.be/4cq7CzSC7u0 https://youtu.be/vDqULFUg6CY Despite the dominance of jazz ending with the Great Depression, the music has continued to evolve with new styles and sub-genres forming as its influence on pop-culture continue to echo through time. In the words of Robert Altman, jazz has endured because it doesn't have a beginning or an ending. It's a moment. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #InternationalJazzDay #JazzMusic #JazzDay #JazzDay2022