Jazz has ever been an eclectic musical genre from the beginning, a synthesis of different musical traditions and subject to continuous re-elaborations and reinterpretations throughout the twentieth century.

The birth of jazz conventionally took place in the early twentieth century in the southern United States, mainly around the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. It arises from a melting pot of Western musical forms and African poetics, expressions of the difficult everyday life experienced by slaves in the plantations.

From the original expressive form of folklore, jazz evolves considerably, becoming a real musical genre, an art rich in nuances, revelation of artists of great originality and success.

It is a genre characterized by a continuous technical, melodic and harmonic evolution that mirrors the great styles that influenced American culture over the century (blues, gospel, light music, rock).

The Jazz is therefore perfect to be appreciated with the Sonus faber speakers that allow you to catch every nuance of the orchestra: the bass of the saxophone, the sensuality of the trumpet, the strokes of the double bass, the accompaniment of the piano.

Following are some masterpieces of five great artists who have made the history of the genre to listen to with your hi-end loudspeakers:

Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
The three best-known tracks by Louis Armstrong, the artist known as the “King of Jazz”, who opened the genre to the path of solism and marked it with his improvisation and interpretation.

• “What a wonderful world”, 1967
• “La Vie en Rose”, 1945
• “Hello Dolly!”, 1964

Miles Davis (1926-1991)
He is one of the central figures of 20th century jazz music. A trumpet player with incredibly talented, with great charisma and a controversial personality, he stood out for his courageous experiments, bringing to life new and original languages by mixing different musical syntaxes.

• “All Blues”, 1959
• “I’ll remember April”, 1954
• “Surrey with the fringe on top”, 1961

John Coltrane (1926-1967)

An instrumentalist with exceptional technical-expressive skills, which stands out for his personal poetics and original style of improvisation, both in the tenor and soprano saxophones, which have decisively contributed to the evolution of the modern jazz language.

• “Giant Steps”, 1959
• “Cousin Mary”, 1959
• “Naima”, 1959

Charlie Parker (1920-1955)

He is one of the most influential saxophonists in the history of jazz. Parker and his friend Dizzy Gillespie are attributed to be the inventors of “Bebop”, a jazz style born in the forties that favors improvisation, a form of considerable execution difficulty that requires great technical skill.

• “The bird”
• “Repetition”
• “Just Friends”

Duke Ellington (1899-1974)

Duke Ellington was simultaneously a pianist, arranger, composer and conductor. From the beginning of his career he distinguished himself by the conception of his own works according to the soloists he could have available, their instruments and their own style.

• “Rockin’ in rhythm”, 1931
• “In a sentimental mood”, 1935
• “Satin Doll”, 1953

Among the protagonists of jazz, we also mention one of the few female figures of the genre, a very talented artist:

Ella Fitzgerald (1918-1996)
She’s been the most famous singer in the history of jazz with an excellent intonation, known for her characteristic “scat vocal”. Her career is marked by a vast musical repertoire, alternating collaborations with great orchestras with solo performances.

• “The lady is a tramp”, 1937
• “Mack the knife”, 1960
• “Manhattan”, 1925

You will appreciate the masterpieces listed above, along with many other jazz tracks, directly in the playlist “Jazz mood”, on our official Spotify channel.

You just have to embark on your journey into the world of jazz and let yourself be carried away by your Sonus faber hi-end system.