New Orleans Jazz

New Orleans-, or Dixieland-jazz is played by small bands usually made up of trumpet, clarinet, trombone, and a rhythm section that includes bass, drums, guitar, and sometimes piano. But the most typical and first constellation of instruments was the so called "Combo". It included trumpet, clarinet, contrabass, drums and piano. The two lead instruments provide a contrapuntal melody above the steady beat of the rhythm, and individualities of intonation and phrasing, with frequent use of vibrato and glissando, give the music its warm and highly personal quality. Charactaristical for the jazz- melodies is the "dirty" sound and that is the secret charm of this music.

The pioneer black New Orleans jazz band of Buddy Bolden was formed in the 1890s. The Original Dixieland Jazz Band and the New Orleans Rhythm Kings, both white bands, successfully introduced jazz to the northern United States. The closing in 1917 of the notorious Storyville district of New Orleans produced an exodus of jazz musicians. This is why many went to Chicago, where the New Orleans style survived in the music of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington , and Johnny Dodds. Jazz was no longer a music that was played only in New Orleans, it was famous all over the United States. Meanwhile, distinctive styles developed in many cities, evolved by younger musicians who stressed a single melodic line rather than the New Orleans counterpoint. This was the beginning of other famous jazz styles like cool jazz, free jazz or jazz- rock.