Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans , United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime . Jazz is seen by many as "America's classical music". Since the 1920s Jazz Age , jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression. It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African-American and European-American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes , call and response vocals , polyrhythms and improvisation . Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression , and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime , as well as European military band music. Intellectuals around the world have hailed jazz as "one of America's original art forms".