A guide to the various genres and stylistic movements within jazz.
An exploration of the technically demanding stride piano style, tracing its lineage from the structured rhythms of ragtime to the improvisational brilliance of Harlem’s jazz pioneers.
An exploration of the symbiotic relationship between Caribbean rhythms and jazz improvisation. From the early innovations of Cubop to the expansive Pan-American jazz movement, this guide analyzes the technical and social forces that fused the Americas.
Cubop represents the high-voltage marriage of complex Afro-Cuban percussion and the harmonic sophistication of bebop. Emerging in 1940s New York, this movement redefined the rhythmic possibilities of modern jazz.
An exploration of the sonic transition from the opulent big-band swing era to the lean, high-energy drive of jump blues and early rhythm and blues. Discover how urban migration and musical downsizing paved the way for rock and roll.
An exploration of Third Stream music, the ambitious synthesis of Western classical composition and jazz improvisation. Coined by Gunther Schuller, this movement sought to create a new musical language by merging two distinct cultural streams.
Emerging in the early 1960s, Post-Bop served as the sophisticated synthesis of bebop’s structure and the avant-garde’s freedom. This guide explores how pioneers like Miles Davis redefined the boundaries of harmony and rhythm to create a modern mainstream.
An exploration of how secular Cuban dance traditions, from the street-level energy of Rumba to the sophisticated structures of Danzón, fundamentally reshaped the rhythmic architecture of American jazz.
Explore Afro-Cuban jazz through its origins, clave and rhythmic foundations, influential collaborations, major musicians, and essential recordings.
Learn what jazz is, how improvisation, swing, blues, and musical interaction shape its sound, and where to begin listening to its varied traditions.
Explore the major jazz styles, from New Orleans and swing to bebop, modal jazz, fusion, and global traditions, with comparisons and practical listening cues.