Though the United States purchased the state of Louisiana from Napoleon in 1803, the city of New Orleans never quite went the way of the busy, industrious cities of New England to the north, nor did it fully conform to the influence of the leisurely, stiff-necked cities of King Cotton to the south.
Instead, New Orleans at once became a city where all cultures ran together like watercolor paint, even while still retaining the dignified Old World charm of its European sister cities. Though conservatism would still dominate culturally for another century and a half, the city's wide, cobblestone streets seethed with activity late into the night while the tinkling of piano keys floated tantalizingly down from the open windows of lively street-front saloons and brothels. The city's cuisine, as well, was unlike any other in America—spicy, zesty, featuring full flavored gumbos and fresh fish grilled in oiled paper and limes. Even the local dialects proudly evaded utter surrender to the polite southern drawl of the city's near southern neighbors, and instead the pleasant lilt of both French and Spanish languages clung to the tongues of those who flocked into the bustling city of New Orleans.
But for all its many rich cultural influences, there is one aspect of New Orleans culture that is truly second-to-none on a global scale, and that is its music scene. Powerful enough to define a nation and appealing enough to transcend international borders, the music of New Orleans has breathed life into the proud city for centuries.
The city's signature sound was, in fact, purely an African American invention, with roots going down into West Africa. The song-and-dance rituals of West African tribes were carried across the ocean on slave ships, surviving apartheid in the American south and giving birth to a new kind of music known as jazz. And what better birthing place than the city of New Orleans.
Jazz is noteworthy in American history not only for blending traditional African sounds with the more modern soulfulness of church gospel, but also for being lyrically centered in the daily aspect of hard work.
Though jazz served as a bridge of sorts between black and white cultures, segregation and racial violence prompted many of Louisiana's earliest jazz musicians to flee the state for places like Chicago and New York City. By the mid-twentieth century, the smooth, rich, bluesy flavor of jazz music could be heard across the nation's radio waves, and though it was soon being tempered to suit the tastes of white, middle-class listeners, jazz continued its legendary ascent, and indeed it continues to influence virtually all genres of American music today.
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/g/gioia-jazz.html?mcubz=1
https://www.kent.edu/musicedonline
Jazz traces its origins to New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, reaching the height of its popularity in the 1920s. Jazz originated in African-American communities, drawing its influence from both blues and ragtime. Both of these musical genres blended African musical traditions with European folk music and instruments. Africans brought to the Americas during the slave trade brought with them West African musical traditions, which then spawned the rise of slave spirituals and hymns. Slaves often used whatever makeshift instruments they could find—washboards, barrels, boxes, sticks, and jugs—in order to make music. Many African Americans also started learning how to play European instruments such as violins, especially after the abolition of slavery in 1865.
The diversity of New Orleans helped lead to the rise of jazz music in this area. In addition to large populations of African Americans, there were also French, Caribbean, Italian, Mexican, and German influences that influenced the music and culture in New Orleans. Instruments such as the trombone, piano, saxophone, and trumpet combined with the rhythms, dances, and chants of slave spirituals to create unique sounds that were often improvised. Louis Armstrong became one of the most famous examples of improvisation in jazz music, known for his ability to play his trumpet in unique and expressive ways.
During and after the Great Migration, which started around WWI as African Americans moved North to find more opportunity and jobs, jazz spread to other areas of the countries, becoming particularly popular in cities like New York and Chicago. In New York in the 1920s, the Cotton Club became famous for its jazz music and featured some of the most famous and influential black jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Unfortunately, the Cotton Club enforced a strict "whites only" policy, so while African Americans were able to enter the club as entertainers and musicians, they were barred from attending the club as part of the audience. Jazz also helped give rise to the Harlem Renaissance, an explosion of African American literature, art and culture during the 1920s. Jazz music became nationally and then internationally popular and continues to influence musical traditions.
http://www.frenchquarter.com/jazzmasters/
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