All That Jazz Music

Jazz can be hard to define because its very complex and has many distinctive styles but if you think jazz you're probably thinking about music with lots of improvisation, heavy accented rhythms, virtuosic solos and syncopated rhythms. Hardly put in layman's terms I know but there you have it.

Jazz music originated deep in the bayous of New Orleans and Louisiana during the 1900s. It was during this time era where slaves found peace and harmony listening to nearby marching bands that performed in the area. Expression about a life of oppression gave them something to write about and the beats took off from there.

Early styles of jazz were nothing more than a combination of blues and ragtime beats that got intertwined with a mixture of European and African rhythm styles. But as jazz began to spread throughout the United States more and more musicians were getting into this awesome music genre.

During the 1920s jazz musicians started popping up all over Chicago and New York City. Famous musicians like Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong were hitting the BIG TIME scene with their very own unique styles and improvisations of jazz. Plenty more followed in their footsteps.

Jazz is improvisation at its finest. Now think of how far jazz has gone because it’s not just jazz anymore, it’s bebop, jazz fusion, acid jazz, mushroom jazz and so much more.

When jazz first gained its popularity in the 1920s there was dixieland, swing, bebop and free jazz but it didn't stop there. Jazz artists have gone far and beyond without limitation to continue developing their own styles and improvisations of jazz.

During the 1960s jazz fusion surfaced with a mixing of jazz funk and r&b rhythms. Just think of The Weather Report, Billy Cobham and John Abercrombie. These musicians really had a knack for playing this style of jazz.

It was mid 1980s when the London club scene created acid jazz. An eclectic combination of soul, jazz, disco and funk intermixed with hip hop eventually caught on to every ones ears. Word began to spread and eventually acid jazz made its way to the U.S., Eastern Europe and Japan. Some good acid jazz artists to be remembered are The Brand New Heavies, Incognito and Jamiroquai.

In 1992 Mark Farina brought us a new form of jazz and its called Mushroom Jazz. This style of jazz is often mixed in with r&b matching, elements of down tempo and some hip hop. Mushroom Jazz tends to have a psychedelic sound to it hence the name.

Nothing could be more relaxing than listening to jazz music while discussing your next business venture in an upscale cigar lounge drinking your favorite cocktails. So go ahead! Sit back, relax and enjoy all that jazz. Heck! Some people even say it’s better than sex