Jazz
爵士乐

Born in America, jazz can be seen as a reflection of the cultural diversity and individualism of this country. At its core are openness to all influences, and personal expression through improvisation. Throughout its history, jazz has straddled the worlds of popular music and art music, and it has expanded to a point where its styles are so varied that one may sound completely unrelated to another. First performed in bars, jazz can now be heard in clubs, concert halls, universities, and large festivals all over the world. New Orleans, Louisiana around the turn of the 20th century was a melting pot of cultures. A major port city, people from all over the world came together there, and as a result, musicians were exposed to a variety of music. European classical music, American blues, and South American songs and rhythms came together to form what became known as jazz. The origin of the word jazz is widely disputed.
爵士乐诞生于美国，反映了美国的文化多样性和个人主义。爵士乐的核心理念是开放地接受各种外来影响，并通过即兴创作表达个人想法。在整个发展历程中，爵士乐跨越世界流行乐和艺术性音乐，并且不断扩大，形成各种不同风格，但彼此间听起来毫无关联。爵士乐最早是在酒吧里演奏，如今在全世界的俱乐部、演唱会、大学和大型节日里都能听到。20世纪之交，路易斯安那州的新奥尔良成为一个文化大熔炉。这是一座重要的港口城市，世界各地的人们来到这里，因此，音乐家们接触到了各种类型的音乐。欧洲古典音乐、美国蓝调以及南美的歌曲和节奏汇聚到这里，形成了后来知名的音乐形式，即爵士乐。关于“爵士”一词的起源有很大争议。

One thing that makes jazz music so unique is its focus on improvisation. Louis Armstrong, a trumpet player from New Orleans, is considered the father of modern jazz improvisation. His trumpet solos were melodic and playful, and filled with energy that could only result from being composed on the spot. Chicago, Kansas City and New York had the most thriving music scenes in the 1940s.
爵士乐之所以独特，其中一个原因是它非常重视即兴创作。来自新奥尔良的小号演奏者路易斯·阿姆斯特朗被视作现代爵士乐即兴创作之父。他的小号独奏音调优美且欢快，充满能量，这种能量只能来自于现场创作。20世纪40年代芝加哥、堪萨斯城和纽约有着最为兴盛的爵士乐表演。