Highlights of the Jazz Story Music Poster Print

This Music Poster Print features a collage of iconic images and text highlighting the history of Jazz music. A great gift for any music lover!

Introduction

Jazz is a style of music that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as ” America’s classical music”. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression.It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African-American and European-American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation.

The Early Years

Jazz music originated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the southern United States. It was a combination of African American music and European American music. Jazz music became popular in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a time when the musical style was changing from Ragtime to Swing.

The Birth of Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It emerged in the South as a fusion of African and European music traditions. The style’s West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, call-and-response patterns, and polyrhythms. Jazz has roots in Mississippi blues and Louisiana ragtime.

In the early 20th century, Jelly Roll Morton, a Creole bandleader from New Orleans, codified the music with his compositions “Jelly Roll Blues” and “King Porter Stomp”. He also wrote “Livery Stable Blues”, which was recorded by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in 1917, becoming one of the first ever jazz recordings. The band’s sound marks the beginning of what is known as New Orleans jazz.

The First Jazz Recordings

The first jazz recordings were made in 1917 by the Original Dixieland Jass Band. Their song “Livery Stable Blues” became a hit and helped to spread jazz around the world. Other important early recordings were made by Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, and King Oliver. These musicians were all born in the United States, but they traveled to Europe to find work. Jazz quickly became popular in Europe, especially in France and England.

The 1920s

Jazz was born in the early 20th century in the southern United States, and quickly spread to become one of the most popular genres in the world. The jazz story is one of American ingenuity, creativity, and resilience. The 1920s were a time of great change and experimentation in music, and jazz was at the forefront.

The Roaring Twenties

The 1920s was a decade of major cultural changes and sleek fashions. Thecars became more streamlined and the music became more upbeat with a new style called jazz. This was also a decade of prohibition. Alcohol was illegal, but people still found ways to get it. This was also the beginning of organized crime in America.

The Jazz Age

The Jazz Age was a post-World War I movement in the 1920s from which jazz music and dance emerged. It marked the transition from the traditional pop music of the 19th century to the modern pop music of the 20th century. The Jazz Age began in 1918 and ended with the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929.

During the Jazz Age, radio became the new popular entertainment, and jazz was often played on it. This helped to spread jazz around America and to other parts of the world. Some of the most famous jazz musicians emerged during this time, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman.

The Charleston, a popular Jazz Age dance, also became famous during this time. It was originally created by African American dancers in the early 1920s and was popularized by white performers in New York City’s Broadway revues in the mid-1920s. The Charleston is characterized by its fast tempo and syncopated rhythm.

The 1930s

The 1930s were a decade of big bands and swing music. Some of the most famous jazz musicians came to prominence during this time, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman. The music poster print “Highlights of the Jazz Story” captures some of the most iconic moments and personalities of the jazz era.

The Great Depression

The 1930s were times of great hardship for many people around the world. The Great Depression caused widespread unemployment, poverty, starvation, and homelessness. In the United States, the unemployment rate rose to 25% and many people lost their homes and their savings. In Europe, the situation was even worse, with some countries seeing unemployment rates as high as 60%.

Despite the difficulties of the times, the 1930s were also a period of great creativity in music. Jazz, a musical style that originated in the African-American community in the early 20th century, became popular all over the world. Jazz musicians such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington became international stars.

The 1930s were also a decade of political turmoil. The rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany led to World War II, a conflict that would claim millions of lives.

The Swing Era

The Swing Era was the time period when big band swing music was at its most popular in America. It began in the early 1930s and ended in the late 1940s. Some of the best-known bands and recordings came from this era, including those led by Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.

The 1940s

The Jazz Story is a 1940s music poster print that celebrates the history of jazz. The print features a colorful collage of iconic jazz musicians, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday. The print also includes a timeline of important moments in jazz history, from the first jazz recordings in 1917 to the bebop revolution of the 1940s.

World War II

The 1940s were a decade of conflict and change. The United States was pulled into World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941, and the country had to put aside many of its social differences to win the war. After the war, the United States became a world leader, and people started to move away from traditional values. This was a time of great creativity in music, art, and literature.

Bebop

Bebop or bop is a style of jazz characterized by fast tempo, instrumental virtuosity, and improvisation based on harmonic structure. It was developed in the early and mid-1940s. The first recorded use of the word “bop” as a musical term was in 1935, in a review by Metronome magazine of the Count Basie band. The style later acquired other names including rebop, hardeaoxe hard bop. Bebop developed as younger musicians expanded the creative possibilities of jazz beyond the prevailing band chord structures earlier established with little room for individual expression and improvisation. They used scales and harmonic ideas from blues, Afro-Cuban rhythms, Latin American music influenced by Dance Mania material from 1940s Harlem parties; bebop has been described as “an attempt to bring rhythmic unity and coherence to jazz expression by reconciling conflicting elements.” Beboppers eschewed synthesizing these various musical approaches into single unified style instead preferring to express their individuality through their improvisation during performance their own original compositions utilizing unique harmonic progressions composition melody solos that crystallized the new sound we know bebop playing tighter more intense rhythm sections with a higher level of interaction

The 1950s

The 1950s was a decade of great change in the world of jazz music. Musicians began to experiment with different styles and sounds, and the popularity of the genre began to grow. This poster print highlights some of the biggest names and moments in jazz from the 1950s.

The Birth of Rock and Roll

The 1950s saw the birth of Rock and Roll, a genre of music that would go on to dominate the charts for decades. The first Rock and Roll hit was “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets, which topped the charts in 1955. Other artists who helped to define the sound of Rock and Roll include Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The popularity of Rock and Roll led to a backlash from conservative groups, who felt that the music was corrupting the youth of America.

Cool Jazz

Cool Jazz, which developed in the mid to late 1950s, was a reaction against the bebop style of jazz that dominated the scene in the early part of the decade. Cool Jazz featured a more relaxed approach to playing, and was often associated with West Coast jazz. Some of the most famous Cool Jazz musicians include Miles Davis, Art Blakey, and Chet Baker.

The 1960s

The 1960s was a time when jazz music was flourishing. Some of the most iconic jazz musicians emerged during this time, including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk. If you’re a fan of jazz music, then you’ll love this poster print that highlights some of the most important moments in the genre’s history.

The Free Jazz Movement

In the early 1960s, jazz musicians began to experiment with new musical ideas that would eventually lead to the development of what came to be known as “free jazz.” This new style of jazz was characterized by a complete freedom of expression, with musicians soloing simultaneously in a completely improvised fashion. While some free jazz musicians continued to play within the traditional jazz idiom, others adopted a more experimental approach that sometimes included elements of rock and roll, avant-garde classical music, and even ethnographic field recordings.

One of the earliest and most important figures in the free jazz movement was saxophonist Ornette Coleman. Coleman’s 1959 album The Shape of Jazz to Come was a major innovator, and his approach to improvisation—which he called “harmolodics”—had a profound impact on subsequent generations of jazz musicians. Other important early free jazz innovators include pianist Cecil Taylor, trumpeter Don Cherry, saxophonist Albert Ayler, and drummer Sunny Murray.

Free jazz reached its height of popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with numerous albums being released on major labels and a number of artists achieving national prominence. However, by the middle of the 1970s, the free jazz movement had begun to lose momentum, and by the 1980s it had all but faded from view. Nevertheless, the influence of free jazz can be heard in the work of many later jazz musicians, including saxophonists Anthony Braxton and David Murray, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, and pianist Keith Jarrett.

The Birth of Fusion

In the late 1960s, jazz musicians began to experiment with electric instruments and amplified sound. This resulted in a new genre of music called fusion. Jazz fusion combined elements of jazz with rock, funk, and world music. Miles Davis was one of the first musicians to experiment with this new style of music.

The 1970s

Pianist Herbie Hancock, trumpeter Miles Davis, and saxophonist Wayne Shorter lead an all-star band—including bassist Ron Carter, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and trombonist George Lewis—on this double-LP, which was originally issued in 1974. Recorded during two marathon sessions at New York’s Rainbow Studio, the set captures the group’s freewheeling approach to composition and improvisation.

Jazz-Rock Fusion

Jazz-rock fusion (also known as fusion) is a subgenre of jazz that developed in the late 1960s when musicians began combining elements of rock music with their own improvisational jazz styles. During the 1970s, jazz-rock fusion became increasingly popular — and controversial. Some purists felt that jazz was being diluted by the addition of electric guitars, bass, drums, and other rock instruments; others believed that jazz was finally being given the exposure it deserved by reaching a wider audience.

In its simplest form, jazz-rock fusion is simply a matter of juxtaposing two seemingly disparate musical genres. But the best examples of fusion are usually more than just a mashing together of styles; they’re also a mirror reflection of the social and political environment of the times.

The Jazz Funk Movement

The 1970s were a decade of change for the Jazz genre. While Funk music was increasing in popularity, many Jazz musicians began to experiment with the sound, creating what is now known as Jazz-Funk. This new style blended the traditional improvisational aspects of Jazz with the groove-based feel of Funk, and was often characterized by extended musical solos and complex rhythms. The rise of Jazz-Funk can be traced back to Miles Davis’ groundbreaking album Bitches Brew, which was released in 1970.

The 1980s

Jazz music continued to develop in the 1980s. Jazz fusion, Latin jazz, and jazz-rock bands became popular. Musicians such as Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea continued to explore new directions in jazz.

The Jazz Rap Movement

The Jazz Rap Movement was a musical genre and subculture that developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Jazz rap fuse the rhythms and Wu-Tang Clan rapped over jazz samples on their 1993 debut album, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).” The group’s popularity helped spur a renaissance of New York City’s hip hop scene, and their deliberate use of jazz samples influenced a generation of producers. Lamar was heavily influenced by jazz rap and his early work with Dr. Dre incorporated elements of the genre.

The Contemporary Jazz Movement

In the United States, a jazz renaissance began in the late 1970s and reached its height in the 1980s, when a new style called Contemporary Jazz emerged. Contemporary Jazz performers combined elements of traditional jazz with influences from rhythm and blues, pop music, rock music, and Latin American music. The new style was led by saxophonist Dave Koz, trumpeter Rick Braun, keyboardist Kenny G, and guitarist Larry Carlton.

The 1990s and Beyond

The Jazz Story is a music poster print that celebrates the history of jazz. The print features a timeline of important moments and artists in jazz from the 1890s to the present day. The print is a great way to learn about the history of jazz and to see how the genre has evolved over time.

The Neo-Soul Movement

The 1990s and beyond saw the rise of the Neo-Soul movement, which infused traditional Soul with modern Hip Hop, R&B, and Pop. This new sound was pioneered by artists like D’Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell. The Neo-Soul movement would come to shape the sound of popular music in the 2000s and 2010s, with artists like Amy Winehouse, Adele, Bruno Mars, and Solange continuing to keep Soul music alive and thriving.

The Future of Jazz

As the 1990s dawned, the future of jazz was unclear. The music had always been avant-garde, constantly evolving as new generations of musicians pushed the boundaries of what was possible. But in the 1990s, jazz seemed to be at a crossroads. The torchbearers of the past had passed away, and a new generation of musicians was trying to find its own voice.

The 1990s were a time of transition for jazz. Many of the great innovators of previous decades had passed away, leaving a void that was difficult to fill. Young musicians were experimenting with different styles and approaches, often fusing jazz with other genres such as hip hop and rock. It was a time of experimentation, and it wasn’t always clear where the music was headed.

But out of this period of transition came some truly remarkable music. Jazz in the 1990s was marked by a renewed sense of experimentation and creativity. From Wynton Marsalis’s revolutionary work in reinvigorating traditional jazz to Herbie Hancock’s genre-bending explorations, the 1990s saw jazz reach new heights.

And that spirit of experimentation has continued into the 21st century. Jazz is once again at a crossroads, but there is no shortage of talented young musicians who are ready to take the music in new and exciting directions. The future of jazz is bright, and the next few decades are sure to be full of surprises.