The Evolution of Jazz

            The foundation of jazz music is built on several musical styles including gospel, the blues, European influences, ragtime, and spirituals. The early spirituals began as an outcry of southern slaves who tended to the fields and wishes of their masters. which played a significant role in the heart-wrenching qualities of jazz. Known for it's deep emotion and improvisational styling, jazz has always had a unique effect on it's audiences. The complete history of jazz has been controversial because it is so interconnected to many genres of music therefore it is captivating. .
             Jazz music originated in the United States in the early 20th century. The city of New Orleans is often thought to be the birth place of jazz, but Chicago and Kansas City also had strong influences on the genre. After the Civil War, when the United States military bands discarded their musical instruments, they were passed on to the slaves, who picked them up and tried to imitate the sounds of the they'd heard from the soldiers. Because jazz was one of the only musical styles to originate in the United States, it quickly became known as "America's classical music." .
             The jazz/blues connection began in the 1920's with the merging of some of the most talented and creative musicians in the business. Among the jazz pioneers were the trailblazing New Orleans Rhythm Kings, King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band with Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington, and Fletcher Henderson. Among the contributing blues pioneers were Son House, Charles Patton and Robert Johnson. In the 1940's, these pioneers were the first professional jazz artists to record true, authentic jazz records. Blues music was rooted in the South until the 1930's, when its sound and popularity began to move to the northern states. As its popularity spread, the sound diversified, an what was once played with a single acoustic guitar or piano became electrified, played in groups.