All That Jazz for Royalty Free Music

Understanding The Genres of Jazz

At CSS Music we love us some jazz! As one of the original American music genres, understanding its evolution is important in your library searching. Back in the 1920’s when jazz was born, there was…well…jazz! It was marked by small combos and generally differentiated by dance steps—the Charleston, waltz, tango, Foxtrot, etc. It could be argued that the Blues was a separate subcategory, but for this blog let’s call it a musical style used in arrangements. The orchestras of the era were similar; typically a rhythm section and small horn section that carried the melody when there was no vocalist.

Jazz stayed popular with the American public and became the mainstay of the culture through the 1930’s and 40’s. And with the popularity, new jazz sounds were created from the likes of George Gershwin and his “Rhapsody In Blue” to the big band sounds of Glen Miller, the Dorsey Brothers, Count Basie and Duke Ellington, to name a few. This was the music that was really swingin’!

After WW II and the beginning of the “middle class,” the big bands became less popular…but there was another evolution: Bebop. This was jazz on steroids with a couple pots of coffee poured on for good measure! Artists like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane developed a musical combination of rapid tempos, scant melodies and lots of improvisation. Where jazz had been heard in dance halls, Bebop was found in smoke filled rathskellers that catered to true jazz aficionados.

Bebop then had its own evolution into Free Jazz where melody became unimportant and expression took center stage. Sort of like viewing a piece of modern art—draw your own inference and let the mood overtake you. Obviously, this appealed to a very limited and eclectic audience.

As the 1970’s introduced Funk to the public, Jazz Funk was born. Ah! Melodies, arrangements and great grooves once again were heard! Stars such as Herbie Hancock, George Duke, George Benson and the Brecker Brothers actually broke into the Top 40 with this catchy music and introduced a whole new generation to jazz.

After all these years and all those styles, today’s jazz has given birth to a milquetoast variety called Light (or Lite) Jazz. While bearing some resemblance to its ancestors, this type of jazz is often confused with New Age and is usually heard in elevators or the dentist’s chair. J

There you have it! Does CSS Music cover every era of jazz? Just about—not sure you’ll find a plethora of Free Jazz but if you want a whacked out track, just let us know!