Americans have contributed to many art forms, and jazz, a type of music, is one of the art forms that were started in the United States. Black Americans, who sang and played the music of their homeland, created jazz. Jazz is a mixture of music of Africa, the work songs the slaves sang, and religious music. Improvisation (即兴) is an important part of jazz. This is why a jazz song might sound a little different each time it is played. Jazz bands formed in the late 1800s. They played in bars and clubs in many towns and cities of the South, especially New Orleans. New Orleans is an international seaport, and people from all over the world come to New Orleans to hear jazz. Jazz became more and more popular. By the 1920s, jazz was popular all over the United States. By the 1940s, you could hear jazz not only in clubs and bars, but in concert halls as well. Today, people from all over the world play jazz. Jazz musicians from the United States, Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe meet and share their music at festivals on every continent. In this way jazz continues to grow and change. |