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S U M M E R I S S U E 2 5
e birthplace
OF JAZZ
Mention New Orleans, Louisiana, and the
distinctive sound of jazz music will
immediately come to mind. A love affair with
sound combined with a deep desire for social
connection through community is how "The
Big Easy" became the celebrated music town
it is today.
In the 1870s, musical styles began to
march to a new rhythm, echoing the diverse
ethnic groups who lived in New Orleans.
French, African, Italian, German, Irish and
Spanish people had all set down roots here,
creating an undeniably unique melting pot of
cultures and inspiring a harmonious evolution
in sound. European classical, European folk,
African, Afro-Caribbean and American
mainstream music gave rise to impressive
instrumentals, like blues, ragtime, spirituals,
gospel and more.
Not long after the dawn of the 20th-
century, jazz was born—ushering in an
exciting new era of American music. After
assembling a band of his own, a talented
cornet player named Charles "Buddy" Bolden
was generally recognised as the first jazz
musician—though many others claimed this
distinction. Playing in New Orleans parades
and dances, his band members included
several important musicians, including Bunk
Johnson and Sidney Bechet. Innovating a
more free-flowing approach to musical
expression, jazz and its distinctive, swinging
blues notes, distortions of pitch, timbre and
rhythmic syncopation encouraged
instrumentalists to improvise solos based on
their present feelings—only certain parts of
the songs were memorised. Not only was this
style of music compelling and fresh, but it also
required great talent, skill and a deep
familiarity with jazz scales to be able to play
by ear.
The jazz scene took this bustling city by
storm, and soon enough, bands everywhere
started to play this exciting style of music.
Cornetist Manuel Perez led the Imperial
Orchestra and Onward Brass Band. Other
dance bands such as the Olympia and the
Peerless also became very popular, and the
Original Dixieland Jazz Band was the first
group to make jazz recordings in 1917.
Experimental jazz made its leap to classical
jazz in the 1920s with Edward "Kid" Ory's
band, whose talented members also rose to
fame, including Joe Oliver and the great Louis
Armstrong. Undoubtedly, the spirit of the
New Orleans jazz community produced some
of the most talented musicians in history.
Discover how the vibrant cultural melting pot of New Orleans birthed jazz,
producing some of the most celebrated musicians in history.
LEARN MORE
