You may know a little bit about jazz or have at least heard of some of its most famous and influential artists. You may even enjoy listening to jazz once in a while. But sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you need to know a little more.

Have you even been in any of the following situations?

- “I need to pass a class, and the only way is to pass the test or to write this paper on jazz.”
- “I’m going to have dinner with the boss, and I know he’s a jazz buff. I would really impress him/her if I knew something about jazz.”
- “My girlfriend/boyfriend is really into jazz, and I wish I could show them I understand it a little and show the same interest.”

This article will give you 2 approaches to going about gathering your research:

Approach #1

(4 Easy Steps)

This first approach gives you links to articles that All Your Jazz has posted. This is a good starting place and will help you out if you need to gather some basic information quickly. Below we offer basic guidelines, followed by links to articles to find this information.

- Guideline #1: Take a brief look at the history and time line of the development of jazz. Focus on general dates and events that made large impacts on jazz. (Visit Article)

- Guideline #2: Be familiar with a few of the main styles of jazz. The development of jazz can be traced through different styles (e.g. swing, bebop, New Orleans). This will also help you with the guideline #1. (Visit Article)

- Guideline #3: Once you have zeroed in on a few jazz styles, pick 1-2 artists from each style to associate with these styles. (Visit Article)

- Guideline #4: Be familiar with some of the Jazz Standards. Below is an mp3 player where you can listen to a few of the most popular and influential tracks. Being able to identify at least one of these will win you points!

If you follow these 4 guidelines, you will be on your way to developing a good grasp of jazz, allowing you to take part in discussions and voice your opinion on jazz! For a closer look into jazz, please follow up with Approach #2 (below). The two approaches in combination will give you the best success becoming familiar with jazz!

Approach #2

This second approach gives you links to lists of recommended materials (books, cds, dvds, etc) to begin gathering your information.

Best Selling Jazz DVD Collections
Jazz Reading: Best selection for newbies and avid fans of jazz
Get Familiar With The Jazz Standards: The most influential albums that lay the foundation for jazz

This is best choice for a more comprehensive approach, though if you need your information faster, see the first approach.

With either approach, All Your Jazz hopes that the resources found in this article will get you on the right track toward learning a little about jazz – or even toward a more long-term interest.

Please let us know your opinion of this post and the information within it. If you would like to know more information, or would like to suggest that we include other materials you have found, just send us a comment below. If you are pleased with this post, and would like to contribute toward the future of the site, please buy me a coffee (below)!

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