Jazz Music: Why Jazz Music Still Matters
For many people, jazz is America’s only genuine art form. This is because jazz began in America hundreds of years ago, mainly in the fields where black people served as slaves. They made up the songs to express themselves, pass time, and keep alive their homelands’ traditions and culture. Back then, the music wasn’t known as jazz. The music came to be known as jazz in the early 1900s. The birthplace of the music was New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz grew in popularity by the 1920s and included influences from both Africa and Europe.
Elements of Jazz
Jazz has almost all of the elements that you will find in other types of music. However, the tune of the song, also known as the melody, is what you are most likely to remember. Jazz also has harmony, which makes the melody sound fuller. The heartbeat of jazz songs is the rhythm. What distinguishes jazz from other forms of music is improvisation which means making it up on the spot. Jazz is more soulful and freer. Unlike in a classical piece where you must read sheet music, jazz allows you to express your emotions. In jazz, you can focus on using your imagination and being c
reative.
The Uniqueness of Jazz
In jazz, the musician starts the song and turns to improvisation, bringing in all the crazy notes long, short, high, low, clear, and gravelly. This doesn’t mean that there are no recognizable melodies in jazz. However, the melodies are just a small part of it.
Still a Relevant Artistic Expression
Jazz is still a relevant form of artistic expression despite the emergence of other music genres. Jazz still matters in ways that are astonishing in their implications. Over time, jazz has gained high esteem in which it’s held in the art and business worlds. Jazz is a sophisticated artistic expression often used as mood music in museums, business establishments, and commercials that promote upscale products. Currently, jazz is a form of cosmopolitanism.
What continues to make jazz cool is the spontaneity of the music. Jazz players can walk into a club they have never visited with people they have never met and play. In classical, you must plan everything, but jazz allows you to seize the moment.
