Jazz was a form of music that developed from the blues. At the time jazz had a very significant impact on society because it challenged traditional culture. It change the way that people thought of music and dance. The Jazz Age was the time in the 1920's (also known as Roaring 20's) where jazz became immensely popular starting a new revolution in music.
Jazz was originally a mixture of Blues and marching bands played on old U.S Army instruments like the cornet or marching drums. It originated from New Orleans around 1895 but became very popular around the 1920’s through African American culture. It was originally very popular amongst the African American communities and later became popular amongst the white population. It became very big through the invention of the radio after the First World War.
Jazz bands started the musical revolution using the saxophone for the first time. It had been known to provoke close intimate dancing and many people were shocked by the loud and extraordinary sound of the 'sax.' The strange and loud sound that came out of the saxophone was blamed by the older generation to cause or influence the rebellion of the younger generation. Bold rebellious fashion statements like flappers (who had a very strange hair style and clothes much shorter than was socially acceptable) and crazy new hairstyles came along with jazz. Styles that people had never seen before emerged from jazz. People wore outrageous outfits with golden and silver slippers, and there was one account of a man dressed in a white flannel suit, silver shirt, and gold-colored tie.
The wild rhythms of the Jazz Age brought dozens of new steps to the dance floors of America, including the Charleston, Black Bottom, Cubanola Glide and Tango Argentino, plus a host of shimmies, toddles and trots. Dances that were more outgoing and intimate.
National radio had become a big hit right after the First World War. The radio launched jazz (which at the time wasn’t well known) nation wide getting lots of people involved with it. Jazz also became well known and popular in Chicago with African Americans from New Orleans moving to Chicago and spreading the music around the city. Chicago was known for having lots of white people getting involved with jazz.
During the Jazz Age (which was also the roaring twenties) women suffrage was beginning to peak. The Jazz age saw famous women Jazz musicians like Bessie Smith, Billie Holliday and Sarah Vaughan who all made big influences on Jazz. Flapper women (who were at the time influenced to some extent by jazz) began to make a statement within society and the Jazz Age was not immune to these new ideals. Flappers who liked dancing and syncopated music were known as Jazz Babies. Flappers and Jazz Babies generally disdained convention and did as they pleased. As