Jazz has been called, among other things, America's "only original form," showing it's clear cultural roots in America. In addition, jazz historians have touted jazz's pedigree as "American's Classical Music." An appreciation and analysis of jazz history forces one to question both the "American" and "Classical" descriptors that past historians have used to label jazz music. Using primarily sources such as "From Somewhere in France" by Charles Delaunay and "An Interview with Wynton Marsalis" by Lolis Eric Elie, I argue that although jazz grew out from a distinctive African American tradition, the influx of influences in its development throughout the years as well as it's transcending appeal have made jazz much universal as opposed to American. In addition, I argue that although labeling jazz as "Classical" gives it aesthetic credence, there is a real danger in downgrading jazz both in musical difficulty and musical value.

My first argument concerns the duality between seeing......

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Title: Jazz: America's Classical
Approximate Word Count: 669
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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