Jazz and Cultural Influences in New Orleans

Black Codes

Laws that defined anyone with even one drop of Black ancestry as Black.

Cultural Gumbo

The mix of races and ethnic backgrounds that shaped the city's culture.

Creole Culture

Cultural and racial mixing, especially among French, African, and Caribbean peoples.

Collective Polyphonic Improvisation in Jazz

A style where multiple instruments improvise different melodies at the same time.

Instrumental Traditions Influencing New Orleans Jazz

Brass and woodwinds from military marches and string band music.

Buddy Bolden

Considered the creator of the classic New Orleans jazz ensemble.

Jazz Expansion into Chicago

Through the Great Migration, resulting in the development of the Chicago style.

King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band

The jazz band known for being led by King Oliver.

Dippermouth Blues

The famous song of King Oliver's band.

Louis Armstrong

The musician who played the trumpet.

Hot Five and Hot Seven

Recording groups led by Louis Armstrong that helped define early jazz.

Important Songs Recorded by Louis Armstrong

"West End Blues," "Heebie Jeebies," and "Potato Head Blues."

Louis Armstrong's Innovations in Jazz

He redefined jazz as a soloist's art, introduced swing feel, and used rhythmic freedom.

Scat Singing

The vocal style that Louis Armstrong helped popularize.

Louis Armstrong during the Cold War

He served as a cultural ambassador in the U.S. State Department's Jazz Ambassadors program.

Billie Holiday

A famous jazz singer known for emotional depth and "What Is This Thing Called Love?"

Big Bands

Large swing ensembles that were the pop music of the 1930s and 1940s.

Count Basie

Being a popular bandleader and pianist known for "One O'Clock Jump."

Bebop

A jazz style with fast tempos, complex chords, and focus on instrumental solos.

Bebop as a Musical Revolution

It reacted against the commercialism of big bands and emphasized improvisation.

Minton's Playhouse

The club that played a major role in developing bebop.

Leading Figures in Bebop

Charlie Parker (saxophone) and Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet).

Modal Jazz

A focus on musical modes or scales rather than chord progressions.

Major Artists in Modal Jazz

Miles Davis (trumpet) and John Coltrane (saxophone).