What is Jazz – Summary

Throughout the past century, the evolutionary path of jazz has taken many turns and found many geographical homes. Its contributors have guided and cajoled it along the way. But, along its pilgrimage, these characteristics, in one form or another have been part of its wardrobe: improvisation, the spontaneous creativity of the jazz soloist; swing rhythms, complete with a steady groove and syncopation; bent notes, pulling passionately at the melody; and finally, an instrumentation based on a rhythmic combo (piano, bass, and drums) with occasional harmonic support (guitar, and/or sections of instruments) and featuring a solo instrument (saxophone, trumpet, clarinet, trombone, etc.) with the melody in the most dominant role.