Developed by the African American community, the nascent music genre caught on and spread, picked up by musicians of other ethnicities and locales.
These cultural influences and musical traditions informed the new style of music originally known as “jass.” Developed by the African American community, the nascent music genre caught on and spread, picked up by musicians of other ethnicities and locales. Los Angeles, Denver, Baltimore, New York City, and even mining towns in Colorado became hubs of jazz music. By the Roaring Twenties, jazz was the sound of the decade, and its popularity blossomed throughout the US and overseas.