The Joy of Jazz
“Life is a lot like jazz … it’s best when you improvise.”
– George Gershwin
Jazz can be a bit intimidating to get your head around if you’re new to the genre. But here are five iconic recordings across five major genres for you to peruse and cultivate an appreciation of this quintessential American art form (or to play at your next party). This post contains NO affiliate links to products. We do not receive commissions for purchases made through links.
1. Traditional Dixieland and Ragtime. The earliest form of jazz, ragtime is typified by its ragged, syncopated rhythm and has its roots in African American communities in the late 19th and early 20th century. Composer Scot Joplin gained notoriety and the nickname the “King of Ragtime” for pieces such as the Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer. Dixieland emerged from the streets of New Orleans at the turn of the century. It commonly featured instruments such as trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano, upright bass or tuba, drums and banjo. A common composition structure is the improvization of variants around a single melody by the various instruments in the ensemble.
2. Swing. Big band orchestration of danceable music with lilting rhythmic underpinnings and riff-based chord structures gained popularity in the 30s and 40s. Musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Goodman epitomize this style of jazz.
3. Bebop. Popularized during the 1940s, bebop is characterized by upbeat tempos and complex chord and harmonic structures. Intricate improvizations by artists such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Theloneous Monk were at first confusing and unappreciated by the general public, but have since been embraced and accepted as an important jazz style.
4. Cool Jazz: More laid-back tempos and tonal landscapes characterize this very listenable form of jazz. As opposed to the complexity of bebop, cool jazz incorporates elements of classical music including more highly structured formal arrangements. Miles Davis and Charlie Parker are among the artists that exemplify this classic jazz style, which become popular during the period following WWII.
5. Jazz Fusion. The combination of jazz with funk rock in the mid 60s made for an energizing and increasingly complex form of jazz that featured amplified and synthesized guitars and keyboards, giving it a unique and modern sound. Popular artists in this genre include Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock.
Hopefully, these recordings will broaden your musical tastes and help you improvise a little more joy in your life. And if you want to include music, the arts or other creative endeavors as part of living a full and balanced life, check out Branches Productivity, available for a limited time as a free downloadable ebook.
Help grow this idea.
What artists or albums would you add to this list? We’d love to know — please share in the comments below.
