Elvin Jones - I'm a Fool to Want You (Live At Carnegie Hall)

After its origins in New Orleans, jazz music spread to other major cities throughout the U.S. In the early 1900s, the first jazz recordings were made, which helped spread the genre's popularity. In addition, New Orleans jazz performers moved or ventured to other locations and brought their music with them. A few other notable cities with an early jazz culture or proliferation were New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Kansas City, MO, and Denver. Some distinctive jazz styles developed in each of the cities and took on particular characteristics of their own.

Brass bands originated in Great Britain in the early 19th century and flourished with the invention of a better valve for brass instruments, they were developed from an earlier culture of musicians gathering together in communities with various groupings of instruments. In addition, military bands and musicians helped facilitate the popularity of brass bands. Industrialization and a rising middle class also led to the growth of brass bands and concert going. Brass bands made their way to America via its European influences. Jazz, as a distinctive musical style, emerged in the early 20th century.

West African drumming and dance traditions greatly influenced the development of culture in New Orleans, and jazz music, overall. In addition to the aforementioned influences, blues, brass bands, and slave songs also contributed to the development of jazz. Blues can be described as Southern Black American folk songs that usually had themes of woe or yearning and followed a fairly simple musical structure... Enslaved populations sang in order to spread messages, build a sense of community, facilitate hope, tell stories, detail their hardships, and more.

Source: What is Jazz Music? by Amanda Ferguson

Elvin Jones - I'm a Fool to Want You (Live At Carnegie Hall)

• Released on: Live At Carnegie Hall album
• Recorded in: September 12, 1971
• Genre: Jazz, Fusion, Hard Bop

"Elvin Jones was exposed to gospel, blues, and jazz through both his parents and older siblings, and his musical talents became evident at a very young age. By his early teens, Elvin was already drumming in the style of his early influences. Jones said he borrowed thirty five dollars from his sister when he got back to buy his first drum set."

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