Question: what is the significance of the jazz age

title: Jazz Age
text: Jazz music originated in New Orleans in the `` sub-style '' of Dixieland Jazz . Jazz is the hybrid of African and European influence . From African influence , jazz got its rhythm , `` blues '' quality , and traditions of playing or singing in one 's own expressive way . From European influence , jazz got its harmony and instruments ( saxophone , trumpet , piano , etc . ) . Both influences used improvisation which became a large part of jazz . New Orleans provided a great opportunity for such an occurrence because it was a port city , with many different cultures and beliefs intertwined . While in New Orleans , jazz gained influence from creole , ragtime , and most importantly blues music . Two important aspects of jazz are swing and improvisation . The famous jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong 's most influential impact upon jazz was bringing an improvisational soloist to the forefront of a piece . The birth of jazz music is credited to African Americans , but expanded and over time became modified to become socially acceptable to middle - class white Americans . Those critical of jazz saw it as music from people with no training or skill . White performers were used as a vehicle for the popularization of jazz music in America . Even though the jazz movement was taken over by the middle - class white population , it facilitated the mesh of African American traditions and ideals with white middle - class society . Cities like New York and Chicago were cultural centers for jazz , and especially for African - American artists . People who were not familiar with jazz music could not recognize it by the way Africans Americans wrote it . Furthermore , the way African - American writers wrote about jazz music made it seem as though it was not a cultural achievement of the race .