Prepare Description Of The History And Diversity Of Jazz (Research Paper Sample)

History and Diversity of Jazz
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
History and Diversity of Jazz
Jazz music is a product of cultural collaboration and a universal language of freedom and toleration, rich in artistic heritage. Though Jazz music is an early twentieth-century black music innovation, certain jazz characteristics, have their roots in the earlier musical traditions. In the twentieth century, black music did not hold a monopoly to these practices; the appropriation, improvisation, call and response, and the reinvention of elements of the art music. Back then, before the civil rights act, black and white jazz musicians were breaking the social norm to share and learn from each other. In the 1930s Benny Goodman, a popular band leader added black musicians to his big band which had only white musicians, a revolutionary step of diversity, in the music industry (Cooke, n.d.). Jazz possesses a culture that thrives, which was as a result of diversity. Indeed Jazz is a true American success story of diversity. The study, therefore, focuses on the history and the diversity of Jazz music.
History of Jazz Music
Jazz was as a result of the coming together of African musical tradition and European musical tradition. African music was very advanced rhythmically while European music featured advanced harmonic and melodic elements. African music also had unique properties that European culture did not have. By combining the African and the European elements, new music was born.
Through this fusion, jazz adopted and absorbed characteristics from the music of other cultures, hence acquiring one of its significant trait, acculturation. Because of this trait, jazz has been innovative and has created distinct sub-styles since its original music in the early 1900s. It has featured all kinds of European, Cuban, and Brazilian music, marching music, Broadway, blues, Gospel, country, Indian and Arabic music. In the1960s and 1970s jazz borrowed from its own offspring; rock and roll to create jazz-rock fusion, a brilliant display of acculturation (Cooke, n.d.).
It is, perhaps, from this culture of borrowing from any music, has led to individual jazz musicians to not only accept and embrace diversity but also to proactively seek it out. Just like the black jazz musicians in the 1940s and 1950s looked to Stravinsky, Debussy, and Dvorak, this trend still continues to present.
Reasons for Diversity
Diversity in jazz music makes the musicians feel better, which is, their primary motivation to seek out diversity is. It enhances their ability to differentiate themselves, express themselves, and find a unique voice. Achieving a unique voice is the vanguard of jazz accomplishment which is no easy task (Giddins and DeVeaux, 2009). One has to blend many influences and find a unique personal combination.
Jazz musicians are expected to find their own unique style, consistently find new depths, avoid repetition and reinvent themselves frequently. It is extremely difficult to find the required new depths, which creates the need for musicians to combine emotion, knowledge, experience, technique, spirit, and risk taking(Whyton&Gebhardt, 2015). Diversity influences more varieties of techniques. The wider the range of techniques you have, the more you can vary your expression and continually get different.
Diversity in Jazz Music
Jazz musicians are part of the diverse culture. They seek influence from other cultures by learning songs, listening to records, seeking to hear and learn from a wide range of fellow musicians, as well as reading about musicians from other cultures (Giddins and DeVeaux, 2009). Dough Little, a Minneapolis-based saxophonist, gives two examples of proactively seeking diversity. He spent time in Cuba studying Cuban music and finding new ideas from it. He states that Cuban and Latin music challenge you rhythmically. The rhythm provides interest and excitement. Little also learned from a blues singer, Big Walter Smith, whom he spent time with, playing. The blues is about the feel and the sound. Unlike jazz, playing a lot of notes in blues is inappropriate (Cooke, n.d.). Thus, Little’s approach, his sound, and his musicianship have been shaped by the influence of Walter and the blues.
European classical music has been an important source of harmonic, melodic and instru...