Blunted Beats

Many people think that jazz is the music of the elite and well-established people. But, if you look into the roots of jazz, you will see the opposite. Jazz is an art of expression in the form of music. Jazz music is the fundamental music in human life.

Jazz tradition evolved from the lifestyle of black community in America who has been oppressed. Initially, the tradition began from the influence of tribal drums and gospel music, blues and field hollers (the shouts of cultivators). Its birth process has demonstrated that jazz was closely related to the life defense and expression of human life.

The interesting thing from jazz music was that the origin of the word “jazz” was derived from a vulgar term used for sexual acts. Most of rhythms in jazz were ever associated with the brothels and the women with an unfortunate reputation.

Jazz music is a symbol of freedom, hope and the skills of show ones self in through one of best art forms which is music. Meaning, African American citizens fought oppression since the beginning of slavery, and this music represented that resistance. Jazz music has a foundation of the basic rules of composition, but it has since expanded its way toward newer forms of music.

New Orleans jazz musicians presented their performances in bars, gambling houses, and even places of prostitution which in those days was flourishing in New Orleans. In 1917, almost all places of entertainment in New Orleans were closed because they were considered to reduce public concern against the government and to increase criminal activities. Then, Jazz grew out of the city of New Orleans.

One of jazz legends who was believed was the legend around 1891. An owner of hair shaving shop in New Orleans, named Buddy Bolden blew his cornet and the time became the beginning of jazz music as a new breakthrough in the music world. Half a century later, American jazz music gave many contributions to the world of music. Jazz was also studied at university, and eventually became a serious music and was calculated by the world of music.

In the year 1921 there were U.S citizens who did not favor Jazz music or the Jazz dance. There were activist who stated that Jazz is a variety of menace that is worse that alcohol, and that it would be better to wipe Jazz out of existence. In Germany, Jazz and all other American music was banned in the land before and after American citizens joined the war. Stalin forbid the playing of music at the finish of the 1945 war throughout the Soviet Union, and banned the application of saxophones. Jazz was called “the music of blacks by Hitler as a contributing factor for the prohibition of Jazz music. However, this music was embraced by all who heard it around the planet.

The influence and development of blues music could not be left when discussing jazz music in the early years of its development. Expressions that shined when playing the blues were in line with the style of jazz. The ability to play the blues music became the standard for all jazz musicians, especially to be used in improvisation.

Blues music itself, which was originated from the southern region, had a very broad history. Blues players usually used guitar, piano, and harmonica, or played together in a group who played his own musical instruments.

Jazz music that was rooted in the blues, evolved into New Orleans, RAG time, boogie woogie, dixie and swing. Then, in the early decades of the 1940s, jazz entered be bop era. Be bop music was the outlet of the Negro protest in the United States. The atmosphere of World War II made all of society and the musicians frustrated.