Jazz and Classical Music

Jazz and Classical Music

Upon entering a modern record store, one is confronted with a wide variety of choices in recorded

music. These choices not only include a multitude of artists, but also a wide diversity of music

categories. These categories run the gamut from easy listening dance music to more complex art

music. On the complex side of the scale are the categories known as Jazz and Classical music. Some

of the most accomplished musicians of our time have devoted themselves to a life-long study of Jazz

or Classical music, and a few exceptional musicians have actually mastered both. A comparison of

classical and Jazz music will yield some interesting results and could also lead to an appreciation of

the abilities needed to perform or compose these kinds of music.

Let's begin with a look at the histories of the two. The music called classical, found in stores and

performed regularly by symphonies around the world, spans a length of time from 1600 up to the

Classical Music Exchange, Notting Hill, W11

English: montage of great classical music composer...

English: "Bebop-rebop" early bop phrase.

present. This time frame includes the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary

periods. The classical period of music actually spans a time from of 1750 to 1800; thus, the term

Classical is a misnomer and could more correctly be changed to Western Art Music or European

Art Music. European because most of the major composers up till the 20th century were European.

Vivaldi was Italian, Bach was German, Mozart and Beethoven were Austrian; they are some of the

more prominent composers. Not until the twentieth century with Gershwin and a few others do we

find American composers writing this kind of art music. For the sake of convention, we can refer to

Western Art Music as Classical music.

Jazz is a distinctively American form of music, and it's history occupies a much smaller...