JCPL Teens

Jazz is the one true American art form. Jazz music has significantly evolved over the years, fully encompassing creativity and spontaneity. The trademark of jazz is improvisation: no performance is the same. Its roots can be traced back to the southern U.S., where African Americans are credited for its beginnings. 

Since then jazz has evolved into bebop, Latin jazz, free jazz, jazz fusion, acid jazz, and finally new jazz. Musicians are constantly experimenting between big-band styles and smaller “combo” setup. Jazz is flexible: the only musical genre without a clear-cut definition or rules. “Jazzers” have true freedom to push the envelope of established music and create something completely new. In this way, jazz is a living art form, and to hear it is to experience history in the making.  

Denver is a hotspot for new jazz and famous jazz musicians. There are many jazz clubs around town, cool low-cost places where you are guaranteed to hear new, exciting styles of jazz music. Some well-known jazz venues include Dazzle, the D Note, and the Mercury Cafe.