Where Did Jazz Come From?

African American music of the early twentieth century developed in black communities in rural and urban areas that were isolated from white society:

Spirituals

Rag

Blues

When these genres intermingled with the brass bands of the early twentieth century, the following types of jazz emerged which were adopted by white musicians:

Dixieland

Swing (1930's-40's)

Bebop (late 1940's)

Modern Jazz (1950's)

Spirituals, rag, and blues developed from pre-twentieth century music of slaves and itinerant black performers:

Work Songs

Shouts and Hollers

Minstrelsy

Jazz, its predecessors,and current popular music reflect some of the predominant features of Africanmusic:

Rhythmic Drive

Improvisation

Call and Response

Vocal Inflections