Dixieland

Dixieland is a style of jazz that originated in New Orleans in the early 20th century. The term is often used to describe the earliest recorded jazz as well as the broader tradition of New Orleans jazz and is sometimes labeled traditional jazz. The music developed from a mixture of African American, Creole, and European musical practices and was closely tied to social events such as parades and funerals.

Typical ensembles featured a frontline of cornet or trumpet, clarinet, and trombone, supported by a rhythm section that could include banjo, piano, tuba or string bass, and drums. Improvisation was often collective; players would state a melody and others would improvise around it in a polyphonic texture. Repertoire included marches, rags, spirituals, and early popular songs.

Key early groups include the Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) and King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band; Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven sessions in the mid-1920s helped popularize virtuoso solo playing. As jazz migrated to Chicago and elsewhere, the role of the clarinet and collective improvisation remained central to the New Orleans sound, even as styles evolved.

In the 1940s, Dixieland experienced a revival that sought to recreate the pre-swing sound; bands such as Lu Watters' San Francisco group popularized the revival, which continued into the 1950s and beyond, producing many traditional jazz ensembles.

Today, Dixieland remains a term used to describe early jazz in New Orleans and its revival, though some musicians and critics prefer terms like traditional jazz or New Orleans jazz to reflect lineage and stylistic distinctions.