Jazz
Created | Updated Oct 20, 2010
A form of music originating from African American blues, typified either by hard-to-detect melodies and epileptic drum solos or comatose bull-fiddle players and melting trumpets.
The music is improvisational, i.e. all the musicians in the group play notes related to repeating chordal and rhythmic progressions with which all participants are (hopefully) familiar.
Jazz musicians were known as 'cats' ("...he's one jumpin' stone-cold cat!") until they became too embarrassed with the term.
Notable jazz artistes of the 20th Century include Count Basie (who stomped), Oscar Peterson (who stomped and swung), Ella Fitzgerald (who schmoozed and swung) and Charlie Parker (who swung, stomped, schmoozed, wailed, freaked, dived, soared and crackled).
These conditions were often terminal.
The music is improvisational, i.e. all the musicians in the group play notes related to repeating chordal and rhythmic progressions with which all participants are (hopefully) familiar.
Jazz musicians were known as 'cats' ("...he's one jumpin' stone-cold cat!") until they became too embarrassed with the term.
Notable jazz artistes of the 20th Century include Count Basie (who stomped), Oscar Peterson (who stomped and swung), Ella Fitzgerald (who schmoozed and swung) and Charlie Parker (who swung, stomped, schmoozed, wailed, freaked, dived, soared and crackled).
These conditions were often terminal.
