The roots of jazz music originate in the latter part of the nineteenth century from the sorrow songs and hymns of African Americans. Due to prejudice and racism towards black people it was not until white orchestras imitated and adapted the music that Jazz really took off. In the late 1930s Jazz became a legitimate form of entertainment when Benny Goodman led racially mixed groups in concerts at Carnegie Hall.
It is widely acknowledged that jazz began in New Orleans, spreading to Chicago, Kansas City, New York City and the West Coast and has seen a great development within the genre including ragtime, New Orleans or Dixieland jazz, swing, bop, or bebop, progressive or cool jazz, neo-bop or hard-bop, third stream, mainstream modern, Latin-jazz, jazz-rock, and avant-garde or free jazz.
Sourced from The Columbia Electronic Encyclopaedia © 2005 Columbia University
© 2008 S4C
O Gymru / Made in Wales