The world of jazz can be really confusing. Many artists tend to
develop different styles over their careers, so it's hard to
pinpoint one artist or song to that specific genre. Here's a guide
that will (hopefully!) clear up matters for you.
Latin
Jazz: Brazilian Jazz / Bossa Nova
Period: 1958-63, Rio De Janeiro
Artists: Astrud Gilberto, Joao Gilberto, Antonio Carlos
Jobim, Stan Getz
Style: jazz, samba
Mood: mellow, soothing, tropical, "elevator music"
Samples:
Stan Getz and
Astrud Gilberto - Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)
Stan Getz and
Astrud Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema
Latin
Jazz: Afro-Cuban Jazz
Period: Late 1940-50s, Cuba
Artists: Buena Vista Social Club, Afro-Cuban All Stars,
Ibrahim Ferrer
Style: salsa, merengue, cha cha cha, mambo
Mood: very danceable, like the above Latin dances
mentioned; more upbeat than Brazilian jazz
Samples:
Buena
Vista Social Club - Candela
Afro-Cuban All
Stars - Chan Chan
Gypsy
Jazz
Period: Started in the 1930s, Europe
Artists: Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli
Style: Eastern European folk music, French dance hall,
American swing
Mood: using guitar, violin, accordian, clarinet, it sounds
very wistful and exotic-sounding
Samples:
Django
Reinhardt - Swing
Stephane
Grappelli - Blue Moon
Swing
Jazz
Period: 1930s in Harlem, New York
Artists: Count Basie Orchestra, Benny Goodman Orchestra,
Glenn Miller Orchestra
Style: bouncy, organized, danceable "swing-like" style,
"big band" orchestra, very structured
Mood:
Samples:
Glenn Miller
Orchestra - In the Mood
Count Basie -
Jumpin' At the Woodside
Bebop
/ Bop
Time Period: began during the first two years of WWII (late 1930s)
Popular artists: Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Coleman
Hawkins
Style: fast tempos, lots of improvisation, racing, nervous, and
fragmented; the "typical" sound when the word jazz first comes to
mind
Sounds: classic bebop combo consisted of saxophone, trumpet, bass,
drums, and piano
Samples:
Coleman
Hawkins - Body and Soul
Charlie Parker
- Groovin' High
George
Shearing - Lullaby of Birdland
Cool
Jazz / West Coast
Time Period: late 1940s
Popular artists: Miles Davis
Style: fast tempos, lots of improvisation, racing, nervous, and
fragmented; the "typical" sound when the word jazz first comes to
mind
Sounds: an offspring of bop bebop; cool, sophisticated; more on
interaction between instruments than on emotion
Samples:
Miles Davis
featuring Kenny Hagood on vocals - Darn That Dream
Dave Brubeck
Quartet - Take Five
Free
Jazz
Period: 1950s, 60s
Artists: Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor
Style: very avant-garde, free, lots of improvisation, a
wave-like rhythm
Mood: sporadic, outerworldy, pulsating
Samples:
Ornette
Coleman - Lonely Woman
Cecil Taylor
and Art Ensemble of Chicago - excerpt from a concert in
Paris
Image Credits
Bamboo Orchestra
Renovecevic
Leaf and Lime
Lindy Hop
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