Core Issues

1. Jazz music formed through a mesh of different cultures in the late nineteenth century.

2. There were four primary precursor styles to jazz music: traditional African music, Ragtime, Blues, and marching band.

3. The unique mixed rhythm of jazz comes from its mixed African and European origins.

4. Bebop was a new form of music that was also a negative reaction toward the white American traditional radio Jazz that suffocated the young African-American musical community from branching out and experimenting with new tunes.

5. In 1945, Parker Gillespie, drummer Kenny Clark, and pianist Thelonious Monk, “individually and collectively created bebop” (Stump 5).

6. It was not until the late 1940’s that Bebop was regularly accepted; and it was referred to as modern Jazz before it received its name “apparently derived from nonsense syllables used to imitate the music’s unusual rhythmic patterns” (Stump 9).

7. The "Jazz Age" was about more than just music. People were beginning to believe in the American Dream ("The Great Gatsby") again and this optimistic attitude contradicted world affairs post World War I.

8. The real-life femme fatale was seen in dance halls, roadhouses, and speakeasies. This "new woman" wore shorter, more provocative clothing and began to use her sexuality to attract men.

9. Jazz music is the foundation for all modern form of music. Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, and Rock all have their roots in jazz music. Jazz music can be characterized as "All-American" music which correlates to the "All-American" mentality of the roarin' twenties.

10. The response to the social aspect of the 1920s was a strong sense of nationalism. People were having stronger feelings towards America and the progress that we had the potential of accomplishing. This positive attitude in America caused major social, business-orientated, and technological advancements.