Jazz has its roots in the African-American communities of the Southern United States during the early 20^th century. Having evolved away from blues and ragtime, the genre saw the peak of its commercial success in the mid-to-late 20^th century.

Jazz is traditionally characterized by periods of improvisation, complex harmony and syncopated or swung rhythms, but the genre has taken many forms and branched out into a variety of subgenres and fusion genres.

Artists:

• Miles Davis
• John Coltrane
• Louis Armstrong
• Herbie Hancock