Archives: Artist Stories
Speaking with a Jazz “Accent”
During next week’s annual NC Music Educators Association Conference, JazzArts Charlotte Education Director Dr. Patrick Brown will be presenting a universal method for teaching jazz articulation to help the student execute an authentic swing feel.
Jazz History is America’s History
Most people start jazz’s timeline in 1917 with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band’s recording of “Livery Stable Blues,” considered to be the first jazz recording. From that point on, jazz is present in every major moment of American history
Naming Latin Jazz (Hispanic Heritage Month 2022, Part 2)
Jazz has been entwined with Latin music since its very beginning—in fact, jazz scholar Christopher Washburne argues that the birth of jazz happened synchronously with the birth of Latin jazz.
Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo, and Afro-Cuban Jazz
While the resonances of Cuban rhythms can be heard from the beginning of jazz history, most historians recognize the relationships among trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, percussionist Chano Pozo and trumpeter and bandleader Mario Bauzá as what introduced mainstream jazz players and audiences to Afro-Cuban jazz.
A History of the Tenor Saxophone
In the 1920s, the saxophone gained prominence in jazz through touring military and brass bands, and jazz never looked back. The saxophone family includes up to 9 members showcases its versatility. Learn more about the role of sax in jazz history.