When the African slaves who were brought to the colonies were first introduced to Christianity and Christian music lyrics they brought with them their own free spirituality and deep appreciation for life. That enthusiasm bled over to create ebullient and emotional gospel music that brought together the unlikely pairing of European Protestant hymns and the fierce rhythms of Africa. Not content to leave their message in the church, however, many gospel artists took their lyrics and went mainstream. Thus was born gospel jazz.
When jazz sprang up among the African-American community in the early 20th century it was a blending of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythm and syncopation, all traceable to its African roots. Jazz soon became a very popular performance media, garnering a reputation for expressing personal, emotional and spiritual messages. It was only a short step from there to combine Christian music lyrics with the jazz beat and create a genre of music like the world had never heard before.
Thomas A. Dorsey, the "Father of Gospel Music" is credited with being the first to combine this and black gospel with jazz. A blues pianist in his youth, he went on to open the first black gospel music publishing company and wrote "Take My hand, Precious Lord". The song has since been performed by Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Clara Ward, Roy Rogers and Tennessee Ernie Ford.
When Dorsey was introducing this to this world he faced an incredible amount of opposition. The combination of church and secular music, although popular now, was strongly frowned upon then, particularly because jazz was often played in clubs and other places of ill repute. One can assume that he was frequently criticized for his choice during the duration of his career. He persevered, however, and his work would later become the standard of traditional gospel.
"The histories of jazz and Gospel are intrinsically linked. They share the roots and ancestry of African slave hollers and field songs," said artist Kirk Whalum, who released in 1998 an album titled "The Gospel According to Jazz". The ties between the two are made even more evident in the works of Louis Armstrong, the man who became the symbol of jazz in America. His performances of what are now considered to be "gospel" songs, combining Christian music lyrics with a jazz beat, set the tone for the future of these artists around the world.
Although it was considered scandalous at the time, there can be no doubt that the pairing this and the powerful spirit resulted in a genre of music that was both awe-inspiring and deeply spiritual. Gospel jazz has swept across the nation
When jazz sprang up among the African-American community in the early 20th century it was a blending of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythm and syncopation, all traceable to its African roots. Jazz soon became a very popular performance media, garnering a reputation for expressing personal, emotional and spiritual messages. It was only a short step from there to combine Christian music lyrics with the jazz beat and create a genre of music like the world had never heard before.
Thomas A. Dorsey, the "Father of Gospel Music" is credited with being the first to combine this and black gospel with jazz. A blues pianist in his youth, he went on to open the first black gospel music publishing company and wrote "Take My hand, Precious Lord". The song has since been performed by Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Clara Ward, Roy Rogers and Tennessee Ernie Ford.
When Dorsey was introducing this to this world he faced an incredible amount of opposition. The combination of church and secular music, although popular now, was strongly frowned upon then, particularly because jazz was often played in clubs and other places of ill repute. One can assume that he was frequently criticized for his choice during the duration of his career. He persevered, however, and his work would later become the standard of traditional gospel.
"The histories of jazz and Gospel are intrinsically linked. They share the roots and ancestry of African slave hollers and field songs," said artist Kirk Whalum, who released in 1998 an album titled "The Gospel According to Jazz". The ties between the two are made even more evident in the works of Louis Armstrong, the man who became the symbol of jazz in America. His performances of what are now considered to be "gospel" songs, combining Christian music lyrics with a jazz beat, set the tone for the future of these artists around the world.
Although it was considered scandalous at the time, there can be no doubt that the pairing this and the powerful spirit resulted in a genre of music that was both awe-inspiring and deeply spiritual. Gospel jazz has swept across the nation
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