Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, … See more

Improvisation
Although jazz is considered difficult to define, in part because it contains many subgenres, improvisation is one of its defining elements. … See more

Jazz originated in the late-19th to early-20th century. It developed out of many forms of music, including blues, spirituals, hymns See more

The outbreak of World War II marked a turning point for jazz. The swing-era jazz of the previous decade had challenged other popular music … See more

The origin of the word jazz has resulted in considerable research, and its history is well documented. It is believed to be related to jasm, a … See more

Jazz and race
For some African Americans, jazz has drawn attention to African-American contributions to … See more

From 1920 to 1933, Prohibition in the United States banned the sale of alcoholic drinks, resulting in illicit speakeasies which became lively … See more