Influences of Rock

The first distinct style of Jazz began in the West African communities. They were a fusion of African and European musical styles, combining to form a new, distinctly original style. The most obvious evidence of these elements is the use of the “blue” note, improvisation, polyrhythm, syncopation, and the swung note. Many early field songs, many of which Jazz took inspiration from, relied heavily on improvisation and the same holds true for both modern and classic Jazz, allowing the soloist to improvise as he or she sees fit. Jazz has progressed through the ages, and has begun to incorporate other different styles of music, such as rock and folk, as well as Pop and Funk.