Jazz
...has affected our nation. While researching about Jazz I learned a great deal of information. Most of the information that I learned came from a book called “Concise Guide to Jazz,” by Mark C. Gridley. In starting my search for information on Jazz I first sought to learn the definition of Jazz. I learned that because jazz has been used to describe so many kinds of music it has a variety of meanings. Different people use different ways to decide if a given performance is jazz. Some consider only how it makes them feel and others consider how the music is made. They look at what techniques are being used. Despite the different outlooks that people have toward identifying jazz, there are two characteristics that almost all jazz styles have in common. They are improvisation and swing feeling. When I learned that jazz musicians make up their music as they go along I was shocked. I think that is truly amazing. During my search for knowledge on Jazz, I also learned of the different types of jazz styles. There are many different types of jazz styles, but some more popular styles are Ragtime, Classic Jazz, Swing and Bebop. The CD that I compiled shows many of the different types of Jazz styles and demonstrates the evolution of Jazz from its roots to the 1980’s. One of my favorite pieces that I put on the CD is “Sobbin’ Hearted Blues” featuring Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. This piece is an example of vocal blues which has always been important in ...