April is National Jazz Appreciation Month in the United States, and celebrating jazz means understanding its roots and honoring its long history. National Jazz Appreciation Month was founded in 2001 by the Smithsonian Museum of American History to recognize jazz's culture and heritage. Several governors in the United States have declared April to be Jazz Appreciation Month in their states. Jazz month isn’t just celebrated in the United States though. In 2012, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) unanimously decided to declare April 30 as International Jazz Day.
Like many genres of music, jazz originated in the United States and features elements from both European-American and African-American music. Jazz’s predecessors, blues and ragtime, were created by African American slaves and used musical traditions from Africa. It also has its origins in the deep south, specifically New Orleans. Though there are disputes over whether jazz was created in the 1890s or the early 1900s, there is consensus that jazz rose to fame and became a part of the mainstream music scene in the 1920s. Since its inception, jazz has influenced other genres and spread across the country and the world.
Jazz has also evolved over the years to accommodate more styles and techniques. Over the decades, many artists have made their playing less structured and more experimental with improvisation. In the latter half of the twentieth century, rock and pop artists have used jazz instrumentals in their songs. Want to see how jazz has changed for yourself? Check out this small playlist below to listen to a jazz song from each decade.
1920s: “Makin' Whoopee!” by Bing Crosby
Crosby was a comedian, actor, and, most importantly, singer. When the recording industry was just starting to kick off, Crosby was at the forefront of it and involved with all of the steps of production. “Makin' Whoopee!” was later covered by many well-known artists, like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong.
1930s: “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South” by Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong is one of the best-known jazz musicians, and he was recognized for playing his trumpet in nearly every song. His career spanned more than five decades! In “When It’s Sleepy Time Down South”, he starts off the first minute or so with instrumentals and then begins to sing.
1940s: “God Bless the Child” by Billie Holiday
Billie was discovered in a Harlem nightclub by a producer, landing her the ability to record a few singles. “God Bless the Child” marks the beginning of her commercial success. In most of her music, she uses particular phrases and tempo to convey emotion and weave a story together.
1950s: “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck
Unlike the earlier songs on this list, “Take Five” is solely instrumental and a bit experimental. Brubeck’s album, Time Out, was heavily influenced by the traditional Eurasian music he heard while on a music tour with the U.S. Department of State. The album was a hit, and it was the first jazz album to sell more than one million copies.
1960s: “Satin Doll” by Duke Ellington
As you can tell from the extended instrumentals in this song, Ellington was primarily a composer. During his career, Ellington impressively wrote more than 1,000 compositions. He went on world tours, wrote for musicals, and had contracts with many recording companies. Ellington was both a talented writer and performer.
1970s: “B*tches Brew” by Miles Davis
The 1970s marked the true beginning of experimentalism in jazz. Davis was widely acclaimed for his B*tches Brew album, in which he combined funk and rock music with jazz. Even more surprisingly, many of the tracks are more than 20 minutes each! They are no quick listen, but they are perfect to play while doing chores or work.
1980s: “Moody’s Mood” by George Benson
Benson and many others began to embrace slower soul-jazz starting in the 1980s. It seems nearly the opposite of “B*tches Brew,” which is irregular and abstract. Still active today, Benson’s style combines pop and R&B. “Moody’s Mood” is definitely one of his jazzier songs, and it even won a Grammy!
1990s: “Stay Awhile” by Steve Cole
Moving into the next decade, smooth jazz took over the music scene. In Cole’s “Stay Awhile,” you can hear the slow tempo and the saxophone. Today, Cole is still creating music and works as a professor of music business at the University of St. Thomas. He also serves as the university’s Head of Music Industry Studies and Recording Arts.
2000s: “Intermezzo” by Jason Moran
The 2000s took a turn away from smooth jazz and soul jazz to favor another period of experimentation. Jason Moran’s “Intermezzo” starts with classical piano but then adds in more instruments to make it a well-rounded jazz song. Moran currently performs in a trio called the Bandwagon, but he also spends time working on individual projects.
2010s: “Clair de Lune” by Kamasi Washington
Washington is a jazz saxophonist, and if anything, his style should be described as adaptable and diverse. This song is a part of his solo work, but Washington has also played saxophone on Kendrick Lamar's “To Pimp a Butterfly''. He’s worked with artists from Snoop Dogg to the Pan Afrikaan People's Orchestra. In 2019, he received a Grammy nomination for his work on the Becoming soundtrack.
Vocabulary list:
heritage (n.) - something that is passed down from one generation to the next
unanimously (adv.) - without opposition and in agreement
blues (n.) - music genre developed in the South by African Americans that follows a twelve bar sequence
ragtime (n.) - style created by African Americans in the late nineteenth century; the name references the genre’s "ragged" rhythm; played on the piano
consensus (n.) - all voters or parties agree upon something
inception (n.) - the start or beginning of something
genre (n.) - a style or category of music
evolve (v.) - to change over time
accommodate (v.) - to fit in or adapt something
improvisation (n.) - an unscripted or unplanned performance
commercial (adj.) - makes a profit or brings in money
tempo (n.) - the rate or speed at which music is played
weave (v.) - to bring together smaller parts to make something larger
experimental (adj.) - a new or untested thing or technique
funk (n.) - danceable form of music through a mixture of soul, jazz, and blues; grew popular in the 1960s
abstract (adj.) - art or music that is non-representational and takes liberties in adjusting its form
well-rounded (adj.) - something that is balanced
adaptable (adj.) - able to change to new conditions
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bridgette Lang is an undergraduate student studying International Relations at Boston University. On campus, she helps run a collegiate Model United Nations Conference and manages finances for BU College Democrats. In her free time, Bridgette enjoys traveling, trying to learn Spanish, and visiting with her friends and family back home in Pennsylvania.