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Jazz in all its multifaceted glory has so many sub-genres that fifteen hundred words would not be enough space to even name the names much less give a just description. Almost as soon as it was conceived in New Orleans as the 1800's came to a close it was on the move. Musicians took it with them as they tried to escape the oppression of racism. Musicians and music lovers who traveled to the States took the sounds and recordings home with them. By the end of World War I there was hardly a place on the planet that jazz had not infiltrated.

Out of the Brass Bands of the military, Ragtime and Dixieland were born. Often these bands were completely mobile rolling from house to house and party to party. Largely dance in its infancy and young adult life, Jazz expanded into a small orchestra called the big band. A rhythm section of bass, drums, piano and often a guitar set the pace for a brass heavy horn section with four to five of each trumpets, trombones and saxophones. Often a clarinet, oboe or flute would top off the saxes.

Big Band ruled the dance floors of the world with Swing through the 1930's and 40's. By the 50's in the Americas and Caribbean Mambo ruled the floor. The Big Band added extra percussion for Afro-Caribbean sound and Latin-Jazz was a force of its own.

Bebop snuck into the room in the forties when Charlie Parker took the Jazz tradition of improvisation to a higher plane. By the sixties Bop was the preeminent force breathing life into the soul of Jazz. During the sixties and seventies Jazz took the electronics used in rock and roll and Chicago style blues. They threw the instruments in the pot with bop and swing and out came Fusion.

Where ever Jazz went it held onto its improvisational genius, added the local feel and spawned a new child. Jazz has never met a style of music that it didn't like. It has never failed add a new twist to an old theme. Jazz is a living, breathing entity that grows and changes from moment to moment and place to place across the universe.

Ragtime, Dixieland, Funeral Band, Swing, St. Louis Jazz, Hip-Hop-Jazz, Japanajazz, Indo-Jazz, Latin Jazz, Savoy Jazz, South African Jazz, Hot Club Jazz, Jump and Jive Jazz, Organ Jazz, Hammond Organ Jazz, Afro-Caribbean Jazz, African Jazz, Marabi-Swing Jazz, Congolese Afro-Pop, Brazilian Jazz, Dominican Jazz, Tanasight(Berber) Jazz, Indian Jazz, Raga Jazz, Karnatic Jazz.

I'll stop there but you get the beginnings. Jazz is everywhere you may love it and not even know it.

Learn more about this author, Betsy Young.
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