Jazz may have originated in the New Orleans area, but it then disseminated all across the United States. In a few places, it found a particularly fertile environment which allowed it to evolve in a very particular, characteristic way.
Kansas City Style
Starting in the 1920s, Kansas City, Missouri, transformed itself in the Mecca for young jazz musicians. The city’s conditions were particularly favourable. Kansas City was far enough from the biggest cities in the East and West to be influenced, but not suffocated by their styles of jazz. It was also a crossroad for the railroad and for domestic flights, with people (and musicians) coming and going on a daily bases.
During Prohibition, it applied a ‘wide open’ policy that allowed the entertainment industry to prosper.
No wonder it became a hotbed for jazz experimentation.
All this permitted the evolution of a distinguished style of jazz characterised by competition and strong experimentation. Jam sessions supposedly emerged in Kansas City, where big bands, big gatherings of musicians, were the norm. Kansas City jazz style relied extensively on improvisation, repetitive phrases and riffs. Because many of the early practitioners of Kansas City jazz were travelling musicians staying in town only briefly, the musical arrangement remained simple enough for all to learn quickly, so to allow a high level of improvisation.
New Orleans Style
It was the most popular in the Twenties, but also the style that most suffered in the following decades. Based on small bands, leaning very much on the brass and percussions sections presented a highly syncopated sound and relied greatly on communal improvisation.
Chicago Style
Because many performers had immigrated from the Mississippi region, the Chicago style resembles a lot New Orleans style. It relied mostly on smaller ensembles, was very harmonic and innovative in the arrangement.
New York Style
The piano took central importance in this big band style of music. The traditional southern brass instrumentation was played by piano, which was considered a wealthier, more sophisticated instrument.
The first piano style to be incorporated into jazz was the stride piano, which was very popular in New York City.
Big orchestras were the norm.
RESOURCES
Scalar – Paris of the Plains
Encyclopedia of the Great Plains – Kansas City Jazz
Encyclopedia of Chicago – Jazz
wttw – From Riot s to Renaissance – Jazz and Blues Music
River Walk Jazz – New York Session: the Evolution of Studio Bands
Greg Tivis – Jazz Style, the sub-genres
22 Comments
Sharon Himsl
Interesting the different styles of jazz that started, in particular the New York style and use of piano. My son might have liked the big Orchestra sound. He competed in jazz piano while in college.
jazzfeathers
America is a big country. No susprise that jazz evolved in different ways in different places and situations 🙂
Kathleen Valentine
Having spent a fair amount of time in New Orleans, that will always be my favorite but Kansas City is interesting. You know so much!!!
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jazzfeathers
Ah! So stay tuned 😉
Megan Morgan
I assume this is the reason for the song ‘Kansas City Here I Come?’ Now I know!
jazzfeathers
LOL! May be 😉
Robin Rivera
Is Kansas City style where the Glen Miller sound (swing in general) grew out of? Or am I just all mixed up?
jazzfeathers
I’m kind of ashamed to say I don’t know 🙁
Why do you ask these difficult questions? 😉
Yolanda Renee
Never saw Kansas as a Jazz center. Very interesting!
jazzfeathers
It looks like it was one of the core centres, from what I read 🙂
Tarkabarka
And now Kansas City hosts the new headquarters of the National Storytelling Network 🙂 They are still a good place for art, I hear…
@TarkabarkaHolgy from
The Multicolored Diary
MopDog
jazzfeathers
That’s so cool to know! It sounds like this is a very lively city 🙂
DG Hudson
I’m a fan of the old jazz greats and some of the new ones. Your post was a pleasure to read. Love Basie and Ellington bands. Dropping in to visit via the A to Z challenge!
jazzfeathers
Hi DG, thanks for stopping by. So happy you enjoyed reading my challenge 🙂
Marie Moody
I would’ve never thought Kansas had such places/theaters. Love the videos you’ve chosen and thanks for sharing. I learned a lot from your Post.
jazzfeathers
Outside the US, you rarely hear about this city, but I’m learning from all your comments this is actually a good place to make any form of art 🙂
Tasha
I had no idea there were city specific styles. For such a large country it makes perfect sense, but it had never occurred to me :).
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
jazzfeathers
I’ve been aware of chicago style and new york style since the beginning of my research, but I didn’t know there were actually many cities claming their own jazz style.
Roland Clarke
Never knew about Kansas City style jazz, so learning yet again. Thanks Sarah.
Also great that so many blogs have chosen K for Kansas/Kansas City and yet all add another facet to the place.
jazzfeathers
Must be an interesting place to go 😉
Cynthia
Thanks for distinguishing between the types of jazz by locale. Since I can play the piano, I guess I can try some New York Style jazz if I were to ever join a jazz band.
jazzfeathers
You should definitely try. I’ve discovered while researching this topic, that jazz is a kind of music that graws over you little by little. It’s sneaky like that 😉