hotjazz

Hot jazz is a term used to describe a lively, improvisational style of jazz that developed in the United States during the 1910s and 1920s. It is closely associated with New Orleans and the Chicago jazz scenes, and it helped popularize fast tempos, blues-inflected improvisation, and collective playing. The label distinguishes the more orchestrated "sweet" jazz of the period from the more driven, "hot" performances in dance halls and clubs.

Origins and development: Origins in New Orleans street bands and early jazz ensembles; many musicians moved to Chicago and other northern cities, leading to large-scale recordings; prominent figures include Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five and Hot Seven groups, King Oliver and his Creole Jazz Band, and Jelly Roll Morton. Their recordings, from the mid-1920s, showcased virtuosic solo lines and polyphonic ensembles.

Musical characteristics: instrumentation typically included cornet or trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano, guitar or banjo, and drums. Features include rapid tempos, collective improvisation, call-and-response between front-line players and rhythm section, and a strong blues influence. Pieces often began with a melodic head and evolved through improvised choruses.

Legacy: Hot jazz laid the groundwork for later developments such as swing and modern jazz; its emphasis on individual soloing and group interplay remained central to jazz practice. It remains associated with Dixieland and early jazz repertoires and is preserved in historical recordings and performances.