The first jazz record ever released (see here) helped jazz music spread worldwide and musicians everywhere were able to learn the various styles through the imitation of this and other recordings. Previously jazz had been a local phenomenon known only by those who were lucky enough to watch performers in New Orleans or other places in the South, where that kind of music was born. But what we call jazz nowadays was then called jass.
On its etymological origins there are different theses .
One of these derives the word from the French jaser, which means to chatter, to gossip making noise, also with allusions to sexual activity.
In New Orleans in the early 1900s jass, and even more ragtime, were played in brothels. Many times to denigrate this type of music, the j was deleted and only “ass” remained.
Another funny story about the origin of the word, holds that “jass” is short for the jasmine perfume that New Orleans prostitutes wore.
According to an alternative theory, the word derives from the slang word “jasm,” a variant of the term “jism” or “gism, which originally meant energy, vitality, spirit.
By the end of the 1800s, “gism” started to mean not only “vitality” but also “virility,” and the word was often used as slang for “sperm.”
Jass was also used in baseball to describe a player with pep.
It is in the late 1917, that the word swapped from “jass” to “jazz,” applied to a new kind of musical style.
Victor Records in its 7 March 1917 review for the release of the first jazz record by the Original Dixieland Jass Band, stated: “Spell it Jass, Jas, Jaz, or Jazz, nothing can spoil a Jass band”.
Photo from Facebook: Original Dixieland Jazz Band
Credo che sulla derivazione del nome non se ne arriverà mai a capo! 😋ma anche questo fa parte del suo fascino, è stata la prima musica che ho conosciuto fin da neonata! Mio padre era un patito di jazz e aveva inflazionato gli ascolti! È un genere musicale molto particolare dove il ritmo e l’improvvisazione la fanno da padroni! Grazie Luisa mi piace leggere di questo !!’ Buon pomeriggio
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Grazie a te per questo delizioso commento: un bel mix di tecnica e memorie🙏🙏🙏
Buon pomeriggio 😘
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Ho al mio attivo molte ore di ascolto😋😃🌷
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😍🎶😍
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😋🌸❤️
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Another enlightening post. I never realized there were so many sexual connotations connected to its beginnings. Thanks for the explanation.
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Delighted you enjoyed this post . Thanks very much for your kind words🙏🙏🙏
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Grazie della ricerca sul nome e averla condivisa con noi web.
L’ho seguito ma poi ho preferito il rok e in particolare DC/DC dove la ricchezza strumentale è una vera carica energetica.
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Grazie a te per questo prezioso feedback! 🎶🎶🎶 Ti ho fatto una visita su Blogspot
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grazie, molto interessante!
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Grazie a te per queste gradite parole!🙏🌺
Dimmi quando potrò leggere il tuo blog
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A me rilassa tantissimo
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Anch’io lo trovo piacevolmente coinvolgente 🎶
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I have also heard it referred to as cathouse music (cathouse being a euphemism for brothel). Good history.
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Oh yes, Jazz and ragtime were played there 😉😘🌺
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🙂
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Mio padre è stato il primo ad avere il grammofono, la prima radio con mega cassa in mogano, e il primo televisore 📺 metà americano e mega tedesco per cui ospitava in casa tutto il circondario la sera. Forse avranno ascoltato anche il jazz chissà diceva che i dischi li portavano solo gli americani quelli italiani si graffiavano subito
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Che bello il ricordo di quelle grandi radio con la cassa in mogano, corredate di giradischi a 78 giri. Anche noi ne avevamo una 💖💖💖
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Mi è rimasto il mobiletto sotto con portellino che si apre e all’interno tutto rivestito di specchietti ci si mettevano le bottiglie di alcolici e di fianco i dischi
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(❁´◡`❁) 🎶 ❁´◡`❁)
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La tv 📺 ce l’ho ancora con schermo curvo manopole valvole e motorino di avviamento
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Davvero?!?
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Te l’ho dedicata su Facebook adesso
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Vado a vedere!
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Ho visto quel magnifico televisore! Grazie 🙏🙏🙏
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interessante discussione etimolica sull’origine della parole jazz.
Serena serata
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Grazie… e buona domenica 🙏🌼🙏🌼🙏
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buon pomeriggio
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🌺😊🌺😊🌺
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😀
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[…] When Jazz was Jass (2) […]
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Thank you for reblogging 🙏🙏🙏
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[…] When Jazz was Jass (2) […]
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Thank you very much for reblogging! 🙏🎶🙏🎶🙏
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I like “jass”! I used to share a practice space with drummer Dave King. You should check him out sometime. Look up, “The Bad Plus”.
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Oh yes, I’ve looked it up and found ì The Bad Plus is a jazz duo, formerly a trio, with drummer David King.
As soon as I’m done with WordPress I’ll listen to some of their songs 🎵🎵🎵
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