New Orleans, Louisiana, is the birthplace of Jazz music and in the early 1800's was the most musical city in the United States. This started in 1819 in Congo Square, which is a location where enslaved Africans would congregate on Sundays when they were not expected to work. They would sing, play the drums, and dance at Congo Square.
After the Civil War in 1865, musical styles from the West Indies mixed with African beats, church melodies from the United States, and melodies from marching bands and minstrel shows created a unique blend of music. This new genre would be called ragtime. Post-Civil War Blues artists began using trumpets and trombones left over from the war. This then went on to mix with ragtime.After this, ragtime mixed with blues music, which went on to combine with more upbeat tunes, and jazz was created.
Watch this video to learn more about Congo Square!!
New Orleans Jazz Today
New Orleans Jazz can be referred to in many ways; some call it dixieland jazz, traditional jazz, or hot jazz. A key aspect of New Orleans jazz is collective improvisation; this is when multiple musicians improvise simultaneously and each contribute their unique idea. New Orleans jazz is known for its distinctive African and Caribbean influences such as syncopated rhythms, call-and-response patterns, polyrhythms, and the use of complex percussion instruments like the congas and claves.
Charles Joseph "Buddy" Bolden was a corniest who is known for his key contributions to ragtime music and what is known as current jazz music. Popular jazz songs include "When the Saints Go Marching In", "Tiger Rag", and "Basin Street Blues"
Watch this video to hear the popular song "When the Saints Go Marching In"
