Hip Hop

Modern mainstream pop derived from the blues has sidelined jazz. But the tradition of African rhythm in pop continues like a golden thread.

On the west coast the griots were wandering poets and musicians, educators and custodians of oral traditions, they spun stories with rhythm. Drums and the kora, spoken word music! The ring shouts, field hollers, and spirituals and blues of early slaves drew on common elements of African music, the drum beat, vocal call and response and improvisation. 'Speech-song has been part of black culture for a long, long time'. The embryonic blues, for song and dance, intensified the excitement with a repetitive 4 bars looped over and over. 

It seems obvious that rap music has its roots in the 'talking blues of the Delta.

In the mid-1970s, New York City was nearly broke. The Bronx became a music magnet for Puerto Ricans, Jamaicans, Dominicans, and black Americans from the surrounding areas. A melting pot just as New Orleans was 70 years before.

This is how it worked: One guy, the DJ, played records on two turntables. One guy served as MC. The DJs learned to move the record back and forth under the needle to create a 'scratch' or to drop the needle on the record where the beat was the hottest, playing "the break" over and over to keep the folks dancing. The MCs 'rapped' over the music to keep the party going, using rhyme and rhythm as one MC sought to outchat another. New dance styles were created —'locking' and 'popping' and 'breaking'. A new culture spin, rap, dance, graffiti and crime were integral parts of it.What attracts white kids to this music is the same thing that prompted outraged congressmen to decry jazz during the 1920s, parents disapproved of the violent and sexually explicit lyrics. This was rebellious adolescence again, hip-hop was 'cool', illicit, black America and the infectious rhythms swung. A revolt against imposition of culture.

1970-1979 - at this point white Rock has nearly buried Jazz. Elvis, The Beatles, 
Black Blues/Pop has also done its damage to Jazz. Rhythm and Blues, Ray Charles, Motown,

In 1971 Louis 'Satchmo' Armstrong dies. Then, in May 1974 Edward 'Duke' Ellington dies. 

In 1977 the Rock idol Elvis Presley dies. 

The Disco dance craze is on the rise. 

Gil Scott Heron starts experimenting with a new type of music that will be called rap. It is a form of spoken poetry to music.

1980-1989 - in 1981 the Sonny "Walkman" becomes popular and in 1983 the CD is introduced. Both help to change the public attitude to listening to music and spark a huge nostalgia for many different types of music, including jazz.

1990-Present-1992 brings a new form of jazz called 'Acid' jazz. However, it is a short passing fad. 

A variety of Blues inspired popular music and small group improvised swinging jazz continue to excite and entertain. This stuff will never die! Today there are many bands out there keeping the tradition alive jazz is becoming more and more popular. Many are 'tribute' bands others are young groups, everybody want to sing and play. 

Salsa. Many of them play a Ska-Jazz mix. Ska is also derived from jazz and island music. Some good ska and/or jazz bands include The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and the Cherry-Poppin Daddies. A great jazz singer/pianist is Harry Connick, Jr.