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Jazz has its influence from the blues, but with a speedier beat. It was a type of music that relies on its live shows due to its amazing ability for the artists to improvise over previously-written melodies.
Jazz had many influences all along the East Coast, but most will claim that its greatest stemmed from New Orleans. When Jazz first began, it was often looked down by conservatives who believed it carried a bad influence. As a result, jazz was often played in seedier places, such as bars and the like. Despite the shunning of the majority, jazz bands and clubs thrived underground. There was a change in the beginning of the 20th century when Caucasian people began to listen to big band music, and adapted African-American dance styles. Prohibition also contributed to the flourishing of jazz, due to the amount of places that opened up that would sell illegal liquor and play jazz music. Soon audience of every color opened up to jazz music, especially with the advent of radio.
One of the great jazz bandleaders of that time was Paul Whiteman, who became “The King of Jazz”. Another great name, Benny Goodman, was one of the first white bandleaders to hire black musicians, including the great Lionel Hampton. Other great names to come from this era were King Oliver, Fletcher Henderson, and Duke Ellington. Jazz grew in popularity during the Depression, and it was a major player in the formation of swing in the forties.
As rock and roll progressed, many jazz artists, such as Miles Davis, Frank Zappa, and Herbie Hancock mixed the two styles into a jazz fusion. More contemporary artists, like Wynton Marsalis, have sought for pure artistry in the form. Jazz still remains an American pastime, and is alive in clubs and festivals around the world.
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