It’s a wrap!

Jazz’s entomological meaning may very likely derive from the colloquialism, jasm (1860) which means "energy, vitality, spirit". Jazz culture was created in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz culture evolved as it slowly stewed, as a pot of gumbo, in the “legal” restricted area of StoryVille, the Red-Light District, or “The District” as it was commonly called during its of existence. Jazz culture was a spirit of freedom and liberation which included music, style of clothing, language, and an underground criminal life style which included gambling and prostitution. Jazz music was created by American Africans/Indigenous people on the streets of New Orleans. Jazz began to form during the time New Orleans had undergone a few regimes of control, colonization. Jazz music has its roots in streets of New Orleans as influenced by French military bands who marched in the streets, of the now French Quarters, during the times of what was called the French and Indian Wars. Jazz was refined by the influence of the classical music culture from abroad. In essence, Jazz music is African music projected onto European musical instruments with the development of European classical orchestra bands. It is notable that Jazz culture traveled along the United States as New Orleanians migrated to the Mid-West Chicago and to New York in their attempts to escape the new cruel climate of racial segregation post-Civil War. Until that time New Orleans was a city that was not segregated and free people of color were able to live and make a living without the threat of physical bondage. The Black people of New Orleans brought that spirit of freedom to other major cities. This is when the music and culture of those cities change into a more liberated spirit as was the spirit of Jazz culture. The Jazz spirit influenced American culture thus becoming the theme of American culture. Jazz aided America in becoming an image of high culture. Jazz culture and Jazz music is America’s first true cultural identity and during its creation, it was the only form of music unique to America other than Gospel music. Jazz culture in opposition to religious Gospel was labeled a culture of sin and many avoided the lifestyle. Although some make claim that there were other music styles that preceded or developed parallel to Jazz music, actually music styles of that era such as Ragtime and Blues postdates the origins of New Orleans’ Jazz music that began in the streets of the French Quarters; other music types such as Dixieland, Swing, and Bebop are truly variants of Jazz music. New Orleans created Jazz culture and Jazz music is American Classical music.