c. 1917Reputable sourceWell documented
The Birth of Jazz
On the timeline · around c. 1917 · The Recording Age
What happened
In the melting pot of New Orleans, African American musical traditions — the blues, ragtime, and the rhythms preserved in Congo Square — fused into a new, improvisational music called jazz. The first jazz recordings appeared around 1917, and the music spread up the Mississippi and across the country, then the world.
Why it matters
Jazz was the first great American art form and a foundation of modern popular music, prizing improvisation, swing, and the individual voice. It would shape virtually everything that came after.
Sources
- Smithsonian Music. Jazz · Reputable source