My impression of the style, tone, ideas, and general structure do not exactly interact well with the styles of most of the white origin. Besides improvising on the blues at fast and slow tempos, the jazz soloist must extemporize new melodies based on the chord changes of popular songs not related to the blues, like Gershwin's I Got Rhythm (24). The mixture of improvisation, abstract rhythm and melodies has been a way of escaping from racism and common ethnic problems stemming from the society of which these styles come from.
Throughout the week I was able to discover the numerous periods and styles of music that the jazz culture has placed an impression on. My response to the "fusion" of music was only knowledgeable during the swing jazz era. I was able to identify with many of the artists that we had discussed throughout the week. I was able to make a more accurate transition in the swing era. Artists such as Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Benny Goodman evolved the impression that I had, and elevated me to the abstract freedom and individuality each artist embodied during their particular era. Swing afforded an emotional and physical release that resembled the exclusive property of blacks (100). The quote that I feel is very true in the since of swing, but the emotional and physical release was also a frenzy throughout white youths during that time. Duke Ellington stood out above the rest with his distinctive styles that he was able to create using the piano. His "jungle style," and "primitive tribal rites" is what he uses to leave an impression on his listeners. His evolution of manufacturing piano music into dance music was a very complex transition from the blend of relaxation to the rhythmic dance style. Ellington's music had a lot to do with the "body-based music" we discussed early in the week. Basing the music on movements by the body and the movement of the instruments created an abstract art for dancing to the music.