Jazz developed over time and began with its roots in ragtime, itself a mixture of different types of music. Rhythms of African folk, combined with the music of jig bands, in time produced ragtime. Early ragtime music was set to marches, waltzes and other traditional song forms. Scott Joplin was a young, classically trained pianist who published the first of many popular ragtime compositions in 1899. Jazz continued to evolve through the New Orleans classic jazz era from 1900 to 1920, when brass band instruments from the Civil War were used.
Early jazz was performed by marching bands or solo by banjo and piano players. Jazz music changed with the introduction of jazz improvisation. This occured when members of the band played a solo tune and changed it slightly, adding their own improvisations. In the 1920s, jazz increased in popularity when Louis Armstrong introduced hot jazz, with a more upbeat tempo and the tune ending in a crescendo of sound. Chicago-style jazz also came to the fore during this time period. This style relied on high technical ability and plenty of solos. Jazz expanded into Europe during the two World Wars with the aid of American musicians serving abroad in the forces. Jazz was particularly popular in Paris then. The big band swing sound was born, with the inclusion of more available instruments into the band and many willing players ready to escape the humdrum of military life.
Jazz had become a global phenomenon by the end of World War II. The different styles of jazz came together during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Swing bands that had played in Europe during the war split into smaller groups when returning to America. The evolved style of the homegrown music combined with a reduced sound level of swing-produced mainstream jazz. In the early 1950s, American East and West Coast musicians collaborated and introduced cool jazz, a softer, more harmonic version of jazz. The invention and growing popularity of television allowed musicians air time that could be screened across the globe, increasing jazz's popularity.
Jazz's popularity faded in the after birth of rock 'n' roll music in the mid-1950s. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, southern blues music increased in popularity in both America and Europe. Jazz was reserved for specialized clubs but the music changed again, proving its significance throughout history. Brazilian samba tunes were introduced to form the bossa nova form of jazz that included melodies in Portuguese or English.
In the late 1960s and 1970s, jazz influenced other mediums of music. Soul music became popular as did the resurgence of southern blues. Modern mainstream jazz and blues musicians enjoyed creative freedom and popularity in Britain and on the European stage. Afro-Cuban jazz, a fusion of bop and Latin sounds, became popular during the 1980s. Acid jazz was a term used with British dance bands of the late 1980s. This was a hybrid of sampled classical jazz music, 1970s funk, hip-hop, soul and Latin grooves.
Jazz music has earned a place in history and influenced many artists around the world. No other form of music has changed so dramatically throughout its existence. Jazz is a popular form of entertainment whether it is played at small clubs, music festivals or soundtracks for TV programs and movies.