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Jazz Influence On African American Culture

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Music always played an important role in African American culture, especially Jazz. Being one of the oldest musical genres in North America, it gained a lot of popularity. There were many popular styles, one being New Orleans Jazz dating back to the 19th century. When Jazz is mentioned, years of partying of the Charleston and Jazz bands came to mind. The Jazz age was an outburst of music, art, and culture in America.
In the origin of Jazz the more frequently used instruments were the violin, piano, and the clarinet. The most trendy Jazz types were Ragtime, Bebop, and Contemporary. “Most early jazz was played by small bands, performing for dancing or at social occasions including picnics and funerals, or by solo pianists (“Jazz” n.d para. 11).” …show more content…

This style of music, known for it’s heavy use of piano led to the rise of musicians such as Scott Joplin.” In 1899, Joplin published the "Maple Leaf Rag," and its success was instantaneous (“Scott Joplin” n.d. para. 2)” His first piece sold over 100,000 copies.What made his pieces so phenomenal was the manner in which he set up his rags. “AA B A C DD” , would be his original rag sequence and is considered his signature sequence. Once Joplin released “Reflection Rag”, being mostly in G major, it created a different tone and sound, yet still remained a Scott Joplin sounding piece. Joplin gained fame for his ragtime designs and was labeled as “King of Ragtime Writers”. His swing hit the top of the marketing charts for popular …show more content…

It can range from basements of large residential buildings to Jazz clubs and dancehalls. Jazz clubs are typically a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic beverages. There are several venues you could go to located in New York that are well- known. A few of the top rated ones are Birdland, Smalls Jazz Club, and Smoke Jazz and Supper Club. There are more than 10 Jazz styles that could be played whether it is Dark Jazz, Swing, Vocal Jazz etc. During the jam sessions, professional musicians as well as advanced amateurs would share the stage. Throughout the showdown, people would dance and enjoy the music. “In general, it concentrated on floor work as opposed to high lifts or leaps (Jazz Dance n.d. Para 2)” Anyone who would attend Jazz clubs would be

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