Jazz Music example essay topic

The Jazz Age The 1920's, often referred to as the "Jazz Age" saw the beginning of a distinctive style of music, separate from its roots in ragtime and blues. Jazz is played on the theory that an infinite amount of melodies could fit the chord progression of any composition. It is unusual in its use of improvisation. Some jazz music is written out or memorized by the musicians, while other parts of jazz are improvised. This means that the musician may play any notes he wishes to play, as long as they do not clash with the notes or chords being played in the background. Two formal patterns of improvisation were brought about.

The first, A ABA, has thirty-two measures in 4/4 meter; they are divided into four 8-measure sections. The second pattern has roots deep in African American folk music. It is in the blues form and has a fairly standard chord progression. Jazz was an influential addition to music.

Its style and characteristics would influence many classical composers and would again migrate. This migration was not only through the United States, but Paris would become a musical center of Jazz. This sculpture shows Louis Armstrong, the greatest of all Jazz musicians. Armstrong defined what it was to play Jazz. His amazing technical abilities, the joy and spontaneity, and amazingly quick, inventive musical mind still dominate Jazz to this day.

Born Louis Daniel Armstrong in New Orleans on August 4th 1901, he grew up in poverty and did not attend school beyond the fifth grade, his father abandoned the family about the time of Armstrong's birth and he was raised by his mother in the urban slums of New Orleans. Armstrong was sent to a boy's home when he was twelve after firing a gun in the air on New Year's Eve. There he learned to play the cornet and dedicated himself to becoming a professional musician. He apprenticed with his idol Joe "King" Oliver, in 1917 and joined Oliver's band in Chicago in 1922.

Armstrong soon became a bandleader himself of the Fletcher Henderson band and made some revolutionary record under the name of "Hot Five" and "Hot Seven" between 1925-28. In 1935 he hired Joe Glaser to be his manager. Glaser hired the Luis Russell Orchestra as Louis' backup band. The band was renamed Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra and was one of the most popular acts of the swing era. They toured constantly for the next ten years.

In 1947 Glaser fired the orchestra and replaced them with a small group that became one of the greatest and most popular bands in Jazz history. The band was called the Louis Armstrong Allstars. Louis became known as America's Ambassador. In 1963 Armstrong scored a huge international hit with his version of "Hello Dolly". This number one single even knocked the Beatles off top of the charts. In 1968 he recorded another number one hit with the touchingly optimistic "What A Wonderful World".

On July 6th 1971 the world's greatest Jazz musician died in his sleep at his home in Queens, New York. Sources: web web. 165.29. 91.7/classes / humanities /am stud/97-98/jazz / YOU RPA 2. htm The World Book Encyclopedia Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary.