A confluence of cultural factors led to the development of a new kind of music called Jazz in the 1920's. Its etymology still unknown, jazz combined disparate African, Caribbean, European, and Creole influences into a distinctly new music. Jazz began in New Orleans, but later diffused to other cultural centers like Chicago and New York. At first played in predominantly African American neighborhoods, jazz soon crossed racial lines to be enjoyed by young people of all races and social classes (although African Americans continued to provide most of the innovative power for some time). The first jazz recording, by the Dixieland Jazz Orchestra, was made in 1917 and instantly became wildly popular. Jazz music also created the underlying musical foundations for almost all new forms of American music for the century. Below are some recordings of early jazz records.
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