Blue Note
Artwork Description
One of America’s greatest cultural contributions to the art world is jazz music. Originating in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century, racially and regionally diverse groups of musicians collaborated to invent an approach to sound that would change music forever.
Improvisation is the key stylistic element of jazz that differentiates it from other genres of music. Driven by emotion and pure artistic expression, jazz musicians break the rules of musical convention through improvisation and dramatic, syncopated rhythms.
Musical freedom, originality and playing the unexpected are what give jazz its distinctive and compelling sound. One such example is a “blue note” (also referred to as a “worried note” in jazz or blues music). This is a flattened note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes.
