Singin The Blues … And All That Jazz

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Most people love the sounds of the Jazz era but very few of us today knows just what the term “Jazz” means or where it originated. It’s just “Old Music” to many – especially those under forty – or maybe under 50 now.

Early jazz players and singers were reported to claim that  “to jazz” was to fornicate, and that a “jazzbow” was supposedly “a lover of the ladies”. Some believe the term “jazz” originated in the time of  Chaucer and Shakespeare, but don’t seem to provide much in the way or reasoning for that. But it’s Clarence Williams who takes credit for the term by declaring that he was the first to ever use the word “jazz” in a song. Williams was born in Louisiana and joined Bill Kersand’s Traveling Minstrel Show at 12 years of age. By the 1910s he was a well renowned piano player entertainer.

Jazz, referred to as “America’s classical music,”  is certainly one of North America’s oldest and most celebrated musical genres. It’s history can be traced back to the Unites States and the beginning of the 20th century. From Ragtime and Blues to Big Band and Bebop, jazz has been a part of a proud African American tradition for over 100 years.

Performers like Louis Armstrong 1901 -71, Miles Davis 1926 – 1991, and Billie Holiday, 1915 – 1959, are examples of some of the most celebrated jazz musicians of America’s past, but there were many many more.  The Best known of the earliest Jazz Musicians included:

• Louis Armstrong (1901–71)
• Sidney Bechet (1897–1959)
• Bix Beiderbecke (1903–31)
• Buddy Bolden (1877–1930)
• Earl Hines (1903–83)
• Bunk Johnson (1879/1889–1949)
• Nick LaRocca (1889–1961) & the members of the “Original Dixieland Jazz Band”
• Jelly Roll Morton (1890–1941)
• Joe “King” Oliver (1885–1938)
• Red Nichols (1905–65)

The Swing era had it’s own greats. The Big Band era made huge inroads into music during this time. Opening up jazz to millions throughout America and Europe. People like:

• Count Basie (1904–84)
• Cab Calloway (1907–94)
• Benny Carter (1907–2003)
• Charlie Christian (1918–42)
• Jimmy Dorsey (1904–57)
• Tommy Dorsey (1905–56)
• Duke Ellington (1899–1974)
• Benny Goodman (1909–86)
• Coleman Hawkins (1904–69)
• Fletcher Henderson (1897–1952)
• Earl Hines (1903–83)
• Johnny Hodges (1907–70)
• Dick Johnson (1925–2010)
• Jay McShann (1916–2006)
• Glenn Miller (1904–44)
• George Paxton (1914–89)
• Artie Shaw (1910–2004)
• Fats Waller (1904–43)
• Ben Webster (1909–73)
• Paul Whiteman (1890–1967)

All of these developed Jazz in ways no one had ever thought possible. Nor was it always seen as being “respectable” music.

In the modern era – and that takes in a huge time span, there have been an equally large number of highly reputable and famous musicians that called “Jazz” home. These of vcourse included such “Greats” as

• Chet Baker (1929–88)
• Dave Brubeck (born 1920)
• Ornette Coleman (born 1930)
• John Coltrane (1926–67)
• Chick Corea (born 1941)
• Miles Davis (1926–91)
• Bill Evans (1929–80)
• Gil Evans (1912–88)
• Maynard Ferguson (1928–2006)
• Dizzy Gillespie (1917–93)
• Herbie Hancock (born 1940)
• Joe Harriott (1928–73)
• Thad Jones (1923–86)
• Fela Kuti (1938–97)
• Shelly Manne (1920–1984)
• Frank Marocco (born 1931)
• Jackie McLean (1931–2006)
• Charles Mingus (1922–79)
• Marcus Miller (born 1959)
• Thelonious Monk (1917–82)
• Charlie Parker (1920–55)
• Bud Powell (1924–66)
• Louis Prima (1910–78)
• Sun Ra (1914–93)
• Max Roach (1924–2007)
• Sonny Rollins (born 1930)
• Wayne Shorter (born 1933)
• Toshiko Akiyoshi (born 1929)
• Sonny Stitt (1924–1982)
• Ira Sullivan (born 1931)
• Cal Tjader (1925–1982)
• Dhafer Youssef (born 1967)

These and many other famed musicians throughout the history of jazz have not only inspired modern musicians, but have also instilled modern and classical  music lovers with an appreciation for musical history.

Jazz has its roots firmly planted in the American cities of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York City. And the musical tradition within these cities still lives on today. There are still a large and booming number of jazz clubs within these renowned jazz cities.