How Jazz and Blues Guitar Music Influenced Each Other

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Contributors: Andranick Tanguiane, Fred Lerdahl,

Contents

How Jazz and Blues Guitar Music Influenced Each Other: Jazz and blues guitar music are two genres that have influenced each other in many ways.

The Birth of Jazz and Blues

Jazz and blues guitar music emerged from different cultures and regions. Jazz guitar music developed from New Orleans, while blues guitar music developed from the Mississippi Delta. Although they emerged from different cultures, they both borrowed from each other. Jazzborrowed from blues the use of the guitar, while blues borrowed from jazz the use of improvisation.

Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It originated 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. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime.

Blues

The blues is a genre of music that originated in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It developed from roots in African-American folk music and African spirituals. The term “blues” refers to the blue notes which are central to much of the music.

The blues influenced other genres of music such as jazz, rock and roll, country, and pop. The blues also had an influence on literature, drama, and film. The blues is a major source of inspiration for American and British musicians who continue to create new styles of music.

The first recorded use of the word “blues” was in 1908, when W.C. Handy published his famous “St. Louis Blues” sheet music. Handy was a musician, composer, and bandleader who is considered to be the “Father of the Blues.” He popularized the use of blue notes in blues songs and helped to develop the 12-bar blues form, which is still used today.

The Spread of Jazz and Blues

Jazz and blues guitar music have influenced each other since they both originated in theSouthern United States. Jazz has been referred to as America’s classical music, while blues is considered the foundation of rock and roll.

Jazz

Jazz is a musical art form that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It is characterized by syncopated rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, and the use of blue notes. The term “jazz” first emerged in the 1890s as a catch-all description for various popular music styles, including ragtime and blues. By the early 20th century, jazz had become a nationwide phenomenon thanks to its popularity in urban nightclubs and dance halls.

Jazz guitar has been an integral part of the genre since its earliest days. The first recorded instance of a jazz guitarist was in 1916, when Tony Jackson played on Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Grizzly Bear Rag”. In the 1920s and ’30s, Django Reinhardt and Eddie Lang were pioneering figures in the development of jazz guitar technique. Reinhardt’s unique style blended Gypsy folk music with American jazz, while Lang’s intricate bebop lines laid the groundwork for modern jazz guitar improvisation.

The spread of Jazz and Blues can be attributed to many factors. The migration of people from the rural south to urban areas in the early 20th century played a crucial role in bringing these two genres of music to a wider audience. The development of radio and recording technology also made it possible for people to enjoy Jazz and Blues from the comfort of their own homes. The popularity of these genres also coincided with an increase in social dancing (such as Lindy Hop and Charleston), which provided another outlet for people to enjoy this type of music.

Blues

The blues is a genre of music that is associated with the American South, but it actually has its roots in African music. The term “blues” refers to the sad or melancholic feeling that is often expressed in the lyrics of these songs. The blues first became popular in the early 1900s, when black musicians began to fuse elements of their traditional music with Western styles like ragtime and jazz.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the blues began to gain more mainstream popularity, thanks to musicians like Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, and Robert Johnson. These artists recorded songs that were widely disseminated on radio and record companies. The blues would go on to have a profound influence on other genres of music, including rock and roll.

The Influence of Jazz and Blues on Each Other

Jazz and blues guitar music are two genres that have influenced each other in a number of ways. The origins of both genres can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States. Both genres developed in the southern states, particularly in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from earlier brass band musics. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime.Musically, jazz has been described as “the sound of surprise”.

The earliest reference to “jazz” was in a review of Bessie Smith’s 1918 recording of W. C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues”. In 1926, artist Sidney Bechet recorded “Jass Blues”, which is regarded as the first recording featuring the word “jazz” in the title or body copy though other records such as Paul Whiteman’s 1921 recording of ” Jagatraga: Jazzamine” predate this by five years. In 1927, Chipwood Caravan became one of the first formal groups to be labeled as a “jazz band”. The fourCaravan- recordings released by Okeh Records were among the first commercially available jazz recordings.[10] Jazz guitarist Emmett Berry is on two of these recordings which are his only known professional recordings.[11][12] In 1928 jazz singer Bessie Smith recorded her seminal hit “Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out”, which includes improvisation on clarinet by Buster Bailey.[13][14]

In 1929 Louis Armstrong made his influential recording of Oliver Hardy’s “Put ‘Em Down Blues”, which contained Armstrong scat singing over a blues chord progression played by his Hot Five bandmates on trumpet (Johnny Dodds), clarinet (bailey), trombone (Kid Ory) and piano (Fats Waller).[15] Also in 1929 Meade Lux Lewis recorded his now-classic solo piano boogie woogie piece “Honky Tonk Train Blues”.[16][17]

In the 1930s pianist Art Tatum became one of the most virtuosic pianists ever playing jazz or any other type of music.[18][19] His improvisational style influenced many pianists who came after him including Hank Jones,[20] Oscar Peterson,[21] Earl Hines,[22][23] André Previn,[24][25] Erroll Garner,[26][27 Bud Powell[28][29]]and George Shearing.[30][31

Blues

The blues is a genre of music that originated in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It has its roots in African American vernacular music and spirituals. The blues has been a major influence on both jazz and rock music.

The term “blues” refers to the blue notes which are notes that are played below the major scale. These notes were traditionally played on a piano or guitar and commonly used in jazz and blues music. The blue note is what gives blues its distinctive sound.

The blues was originally developed by African Americans who were slaves. They would sing about their experiences working on plantations or in other hard labor jobs. As the genre developed, it began to be influenced by other genres of music, such as gospel, Ragtime, and country.

In the early 20th century, the blues began to be recorded and performed by professional musicians. These musicians included W.C. Handy, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Louis Armstrong. The popularity of the blues continued to grow in the mid-20th century with artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and B.B. King. The genre eventually became a major influence on both jazz and rock music

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