Exploring the Interwoven Origins of Blues and Jazz

The interaction between Blues and Jazz can be discerned when the origins of both music are scrutinized. The development of one is hidden in the roots of one another and both use similar sound patterns for instance. In this paper the readers will be presented a brief history of Blues & Jazz within the similarities of the two.

If we trace back to the history of Blues music, the impact of African-American tradition is seen quite apparently. Blues music evolved from the songs sung by West African griots, the southern Black American songs of sadness and despair, and more hopeful Christian spirituals. It originated in the rural Mississippi Delta region at the beginning of 20th century.

Similarly, Jazz music emerged as a blend of African-American rituals; the features carried from West African Black folk music developed in the Americas, joined with European music of the late 18th

That is not to say Blues music was popular only in America, yet Jazz styles significantly evolved with a necessity characteristic of any true art form; it was adopted internationally as a universal true art form.

Although Jazz emerged after Blues was already popular in America and had a “vital influence” on subsequent Jazz”, the recording of Blues relies on “the initial popularity of Jazz”. According to Robert M. Baker, this gave way to the absorption of Blues into both Jazz and the mainstream of pop music. (Internet)

The similarity between Blues and Jazz began to occur “during 1930’s and 1940’s when T-Bone Walker in Houston and B.B. King combined Jazz techniques with Blues tonality and repertoire.”(Rolling Stone Encyclopedia, 53) Furthermore, Blues chord progression, which consists of various intermediate chords, and even some substitute chord patterns called as twelve-bar blues are also used by Jazz instrumentalists as a basis for extended