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The History of Jazz and Blues

It's not your father's Jazz and Blues. No more smoky rooms, shady venues or gatherings in the back of an already packed nightclub. But then again, all of those things help add to the inherent charm of the two music forms from which all other American music has come.

Jazz and blues are original genres of American music that are grounded in Western melodic technique and theory. Both are undeniably and indelibly marked by the deep cultural influence of African American musicians. Jazz and blues in the United States sprouted from the Deep South -- in the regions occupied by former African slaves, where chants, spirituals and other similar types of songs were the primary means of musical expression.

Today, both forms are closely associated and are often combined into a fusion of the two aptly named Jazz blues. In addition to the chord progression, Jazz blues players employ techniques such as blue notes, blues-like phrasing of melodies, and blues riffs resulting in a more sophisticated treatment of the harmony than a traditional rendition of either of the two.