Originating in New Orleans, Louisiana, Jazz music is a genre that began within the African American community around the turn of the 20th century. The city’s population was more diverse than anywhere in the south, and people of African, French, Caribbean, Italian, German, Mexican, American Indian and English descent all interacted with one another. Jazz is a blend of ragtime, marches, and blues. Jazz music spread rapidly and its evolution was led by a series of notable musicians including, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Miles Davis.