The true beginning and father of jazz is hard to pinpoint to an exact date and figure but what is clear is that New Orleans was and is the undisputed birthplace of jazz. There are many factors that contribute to this fact but there are a few that stand out the most. New Orleans was founded in 1718 by the French and wasn't a part of the United States until the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Due to its origin, New Orleans was a place characterized by much more cultural diversity than anywhere else in the United States. New Orleans was a culture diversified by the French, Spanish, European, Creole, Islanders, West Africans, slaves and also free people of color which "made Louisiana into perhaps the most seething ethnic melting pot that the nineteenth-century world could produce." (Gioia, 7) With an already existing love of music and dance perpetuating throughout the region, the added diversity created through the mixed culture led ultimately to the creation of jazz in the region.
Prior to the emergence of jazz in the region, there was a place know as the Congo Square where dance and music took place by the slaves in the region. The Congo Square dances lasted up until around 1885, around the time jazz bands started emerging in New Orleans. (Gioia, 4) What occurred in the Congo Square can be attributed to the African culture that was present in New Orleans and this culture in turn affected "jazz performers' self-image [and gave them] sense of what it meant to be an African American musician." (Gioia, 5)
By the time jazz began emerging and became a noticeable musical form, American music was being influenced by African culture and vice versa. This ultimately led to an inter-mixture of the cultures known as syncretism or "the blending together of cultural elements that previously existed separately." (Gioia, 5) Addtionaly, this blending was in large part due to the "comparatively less rigid atmosphere [which] helped shape attitudes and behavior patterns in New Orleans." (Gioia, 6) The interconnection that formed among the cultures allowed for many artists to borrow from other musical styles and then create their own expression based on how they wished to present their art.
When speaking of jazz in New Orleans, it is important to recognize the influence of Mexican musicians on the new found art form. In 1884, many Mexicans came to the New Orleans for the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition. Many of the musicians who came over ended up staying long term and undoubtedly contributed to the already wide range of diverse culture in New Orleans. Many famous jazz musicians were trained classically by Mexicano instrumentalists and additionally many new woodwind instruments were introduced into the region. (Johnson, 226) The combination of new teachings and new instruments allowed the creative side of jazz musicians to create a wide range of unique sounds unique to them and their own personal life.
It was this interconnection among the many cultures that was fundamental to the development of jazz in New Orleans. Without this collaboration, I believe many famous jazz musicians would have lacked proper training and lacked an idea of the versatility of so many styles.
Commented on Sam Carlin.
