Dixieland jazz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dixieland |
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| Stylistic origins | Jazz |
| Cultural origins | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
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Dixieland jazz, also known as traditional jazz or just Dixieland, is a lively style of jazz music. It started in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the early 1900s. This music became widely known after the Original Dixieland Jass Band made their first recordings in 1917.
In the 1940s, Dixieland jazz became popular again. This happened because some musicians wanted to go back to the older jazz sounds. They didn't like the big band swing era music or the newer, faster bebop style. This revival included parts of the "Chicago style" of jazz. It used instruments like the string bass instead of the tuba. This new interest in Dixieland was very popular in the United Kingdom, where it was sometimes called "trad jazz."
Dixieland music often features a group of instruments playing together. These include trumpets, trombones, and clarinets. Musicians often make up their parts as they play, creating a fun, layered sound.
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History of Dixieland Jazz
The Original Dixieland Jass Band first used the name "Dixieland" for their music in 1917. At that time, the word mostly referred to the band itself. Their sound mixed African American/New Orleans ragtime with Sicilian music. Many types of music were popular in New Orleans in the 1910s. These included church music, brass band music, and blues.
Later, in the 1940s and 1950s, the term "Dixieland" was used for early jazz. This was during the traditional jazz revival. The name "Dixieland" refers to the "Old South" of the United States. New Orleans is located in this region.
A typical Dixieland band has a "front line" of trumpet (or cornet), trombone, and clarinet. The "rhythm section" usually has at least two of these instruments: guitar or banjo, string bass or tuba, piano, and drums. Louis Armstrong's All-Stars was a very famous Dixieland band in the 1940s.
The special Dixieland sound happens when one instrument, usually the trumpet, plays the main tune. The other instruments then make up their own parts around that tune. This creates a rich, layered sound. It's different from the planned music of big bands or the simpler melodies of bebop.
During the 1930s and 1940s, many younger black musicians started playing new jazz styles. But some older musicians kept playing the traditional style. The Dixieland revival in the late 1940s and 1950s helped bring back many musicians. Bands like the original Dukes of Dixieland became very popular. They even made the first stereo record.
What Does "Dixie" Mean?
The word "Dixie" is a nickname for the Southern United States. New Orleans, where Dixieland Jazz began, is in this region.
Different Styles of Dixieland
Chicago Style Jazz
The "Chicago style" of Dixieland jazz was played by musicians in Chicago. These included Jimmy McPartland and Eddie Condon. In these bands, the string bass replaced the tuba. The guitar replaced the banjo. Chicago-style bands often played faster, like the busy city life. They also played more solos than New Orleans bands. They included songs from the Great American Songbook by composers like George Gershwin.
West Coast Revival Jazz
The "West Coast revival" started in the late 1930s in San Francisco. It was led by Lu Watters and his Yerba Buena Jazz Band. This style was a reaction against the Chicago style. It focused on the music of early jazz legends like Joe "King" Oliver and Louis Armstrong. West Coast bands used the banjo and tuba in their rhythm sections.
Some well-known Dixieland songs include: "When the Saints Go Marching In", "Muskrat Ramble", "Tiger Rag", and "Basin Street Blues". These songs were popular before World War II and became known as Dixieland standards in the 1950s.
Dutch "Old-style Jazz"
At the same time as the revival in the United States, traditional jazz also became popular in the Low Countries (like the Netherlands). Dutch jazz bands often did not have a piano or stringed instruments (except for the banjo). They used many trumpets, trombones, and saxophones. They also had a clarinet, sousaphone, and Marching percussion like a washboard. These bands were often larger, with up to 15 players.
Music Influenced by Dixieland
Many music styles have been influenced by traditional jazz. These include later jazz styles, rhythm and blues, and early rock and roll. The drumming style of New Orleans "second-line" parades can be heard in the music of Fats Domino. Modern jazz musicians like Idris Muhammad and Steve Lacy have used Dixieland ideas. Even today, New Orleans Brass Bands mix traditional jazz with funk, hip hop, and rap.
The Dixieland Revival
The Dixieland revival helped many older musicians who had kept playing traditional jazz. It also brought back musicians who had stopped playing for a while. However, many younger black musicians did not join the revival. They felt it was mostly for white audiences who were looking back at the past. The name "Dixieland" also reminded them of the Jim Crow era, which was a difficult time.
Despite this, the Dixieland revival in the 1940s and 1950s made traditional jazz very popular. It led to similar revivals in Europe. Famous jazz songs like "Basin Street Blues" are still known today because of Dixieland's lasting popularity. Dixieland jazz is still a big attraction for tourists in New Orleans.
Dixieland Festivals
Many festivals around the world celebrate Dixieland jazz:
- In the United States, the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee in Sacramento, California, was a very large festival. It had about 100,000 visitors and 150 bands each year. It ended in 2017.
- The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, features jazz and many other types of music.
- In Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain, the Tarragona International Dixieland Festival is held every year. It has about 25 bands and 100 performances.
- In Dresden, Germany, the Internationales Dixieland Festival Dresden has been held every year since 1970. It ends with a parade.
- In Davenport, Iowa, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival celebrates Dixieland music. It honors cornet player Bix Beiderbecke.
- In Ghent, Belgium, the Gent Jazz Festival is an international jazz event held every July.
- In Weiz, Steiermark, Austria, the Dixie and Swing Festival happens every August.
Magazines About Traditional Jazz
Several magazines are dedicated to traditional jazz:
- The Jazz Rambler is a newsletter from San Diego.
- The Syncopated Times covers traditional jazz, ragtime, and swing.
- "Just Jazz" and "The Jazz Rag" are popular in the UK.
- Jazz Journal is an online magazine from Europe.
What People Say About Dixieland
Arguably the happiest of all music is Dixieland jazz. The sound of several horns all improvising together on fairly simple chord changes with definite roles for each instrument but a large amount of freedom, cannot help but sound consistently joyful.
By the mid-1930s the word 'Dixieland' was being applied freely to certain circles of white musicians. First by the trade press, then by the public. By the end of the decade it all but lost any direct 'Southern' association.
See also
In Spanish: Dixieland para niños
- List of Dixieland standards
- Music of Chicago
- Second Line
- Trad jazz
