‘’Now more than ever before, let’s band together and spread the ethics of Jazz Day’s global movement around the planet and use this as a golden opportunity for humankind to reconnect especially in the midst of all this isolation and uncertainty.” Herbie Hancock, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador
Just as many can distinguish rock music as soon as it is heard by the combination of electric guitar and drums; others can also recognize Jazz.
Once you recognize the sharp, melodic sound of a trumpet, or guitar with a saxophone, it becomes easier for you to realize that what is being played belongs to classic, melodious jazz. One that has the power to sooth you with the same ability to arouse your enthusiasm for dancing. From the heart of the folklore and black councils of Africans in America, jazz music was born, and this is its story.
According to the Oxford Linguistic Dictionary website archive, the term jazz is a slang word that spread among the African-American population at the end of the nineteenth century. Moreover, it was used in the sport of baseball that was very popular at the time, especially among Africans who were distinguished by strong athletic bodies. The word jazz meant "fast or swift from hyper enthusiasm", and it was usually used to praise the speed of throwing the ball from the pitcher to the hitter.
Jazz is a genre of music that originated in America, specifically from the African-American community at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. It began as a diversification or mix between older musical classifications such as Blues and Ragtime. It had strong beginnings among the bars and nightclubs that the majority of its visitors were of African descent, especially the players of the Marching bands, who liked to play cheerful, irregular tunes, such as the ones they played during their working days at the seasonal celebrations and carnivals.
With the 1920s, jazz music began to spread outside the local ranges of the southeastern states near the Gulf of Mexico, specifically the birthplace of jazz: New Orleans, Louisiana. Soon the growing popularity of jazz was spreading all over the world, and it met with great acceptance in Europe after the First World War. In addition, musicians were playing it in the largest and most famous theaters in the world. According to what was published by the British Telegraph, jazz is one of Queen Elizabeth’s favorite music genres.
Some may disagree on distinguishing jazz music, and some may confuse it with the older sister, which is the slow-paced blues in terms of melodies because jazz was often improvised and not composed or written in advance like other musical compositions. With the mix of trumpets, trombones and saxophones, and the huge bass guitar in the background and drum kit, jazz was easy to distinguish with a rhythmic, non-slow nature.
Even if more than one performer plays the same piece, the listener will immediately feel that the "variety and style” of the performer significantly changes the piece. The most famous of those who sang jazz music are: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
Other voices and musicians in the world of jazz have also distinguished themselves significantly over the years, among them: Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. There was also a special place for women jazz artists, who were distinguished by beautiful voices, wonderful styles, and super-popular songs, and the most prominent of them were: Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae and Nina Simone.
