A Very Brief Introduction to Jazz

Jazz. In my opinion, the best concoction of history and music genres in history, but what is it exactly? Honestly, many people don’t really know the answer to that, and that is because trying to place what has been one of the most influential and ever-evolving musical genres of all time in a single label is absurd.

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I wasn’t very fond of jazz before I had the chance of playing it myself. I vividly remember when our new music teacher arrived and delivered a fairly awkward PowerPoint presentation on the genre and how he was going to teach us about it and about blues and whatnot, and the look my friends and I shared. The only reason we had chosen this elective was that we enjoyed playing music (as well as most of us being terrible actresses, choir singers, and dancers), and definitely not because of this weird new teacher and his jazz PowerPoint. Even if I didn’t know it at the time, this was going to be one of the best decisions I had ever taken at school because not only I found a friend, but he also managed to introduce me to what would become one of my greatest passions. So if you’re still reading, a piece of advice from me, seriously, never judge a book by its cover or a teacher by his cringe-y slideshows.

If you think about Jazz right now, and some popular songs, probably Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon or Ella Fitzgerald’s and Louis Armstrong’s Dream a Little Dream of me will pop up in your minds. However, the songs sung weren’t as light-hearted and romantic back then. Knowing that the genre was at first played and originated by slaves, the songs used to be played with a darker tone to them, treating topics such as forced labor in cotton camps and social conditions of slaves.

Ever since then, Jazz has kept evolving. From the bands of New Orleans to the invention of Swing, to Orchestral Jazz, and so on - things too broad to explain in a Scoop Article. However, if this wonderful genre has you interested, I invite you to check out artists like Herbie Hancock for musical background, Louis Armstrong for swing, and of course Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald for wonderful vocals. If you’re also interested in the creation and intense preparation for each musician in a jazz ensemble, check out the movie Whiplash for a powerful approach and an unbelievable soundtrack.

By Valeria Beltrán, 10A