A style of music known for its improvisation and spirit, it was born in New Orleans, but took on life in countless new directions.
Any attempt to describe the history of jazz in a linear format is misleading because jazz didn’t—and doesn’t—happen that way. A style of music known for its improvisation and spirit, it was born in New Orleans, but took on life in countless new directions. Free jazz, cool jazz, bebop, post-bop, and electro swing: all of these and more have rich, tangled roots that defy delineation—and definition. Here is a sampling of those roots from geographical and musical perspectives, and a glimpse at a few of the jazz musicians who championed the genre.