>> JAZZ IS A HYBRID FORM OF MUSIC TRADITION THAT CAME ABOUT IN THE 19th CENTURY.

PRIMARILY THROUGH ANTEBELLUM, THROUGH PARTS OF SLAVERY, THROUGH RECONSTRUCTION ERA WELL INTO THE 20th CENTURY THAT REPRESENTED A NUMBER OF THOSE FEATURES THAT COALESCED WITH RAGTIME MUSIC, WITH BRASS BANDS, THE BLUES YOU MIGHT SAY SORT OF COLORS ALL THIS IN THE BLUES EXPRESSION, BLUES, OF COURSE, IS A FORM ITSELF COMING OUT OF MUSICAL TEACHERS THAT WERE IN SOME SPIRITUAL, SOME WORK SONGS, AND MUCH OF THE MENSTRUAL THEMED MUSIC.

THE BLUES IS IMPORTANT, TOO, TO ALL OF THIS.

AND BLUES IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPACTFUL, INFLUENTIAL ASPECT OF WHAT WE CALL JAZZ.

IN THE LATE TEENS AND EARLY 20s IT CRYSTALLIZED US INTO A BAND.

IT'S A MOVEMENT THAT IS LARGELY INFORMED BY VOCAL EXPRESSION, IN TERMS OF TONALITY, HOW YOU CAN BEND A TONE, BEND A PITCH, HOW YOU CAN IMITATE VOCAL SOUNDS THROUGH AN INSTRUMENT.

AND THIS BAND IDEA PROVIDED A WONDERFUL VEHICLE FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION THROUGH IMPROVISATION, PROBABLY THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE TRADITION.

COLUMBUS LIKE DETROIT, LIKE INDIANAPOLIS, LIKE CHICAGO, PITTSBURGH, CLEVELAND, CHANGED DURING THE 1920S BECAUSE THERE WAS A RATHER MASSIVE MIGRATION OF BLACK PEOPLE LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIFE, AND IN A SENSE, MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WHO MIGRATED FROM THE SOUTH TO ALL THESE CITIES.

AND WHEN YOU HAVE MIGRATION OF PEOPLE, THEY BRING THEIR CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS WITH THEM THEIR CULTURAL DESIRES, AND SO MUSIC, AGAIN, VERY IMPORTANT.

CHURCH, WE COULD TALK FOREVER ABOUT THE BLACK CHURCH AND HOW THAT MUSIC THEN FORMS THE SECULAR MUSIC.

AND SO, THESE PEOPLE BROUGHT THIS MUSIC.

AND THEY DEMANDED A CERTAIN KIND OF MUSIC THAT CAUGHT ON THROUGH RADIO AND EVENTUALLY TV, BUT PARTICULARLY RADIO.

AND MOST IMPORTANT RECORDING HISTORY, AND MUSIC WAS BECOMING MORE POPULAR IN THE 20th CENTURY JUST FOR PLEASURE, WHERE WE CAN JUST BE ABLE TO TURN ON THE RADIO, TURN ON THE RECORDING AND ENJOY.

THE GEOGRAPHICAL --THIS CITY FOR THE JAZZ WAS IN THE MOUNT VERNON STREET NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THERE WERE CHURCHES, WHERE THERE WERE FUNERAL HOMES, WHERE THERE WERE INSURANCE COMPANIES.

THERE WERE BUSINESSES, MOM AND POP STORES, CONVENIENCES, BEAUTY SHOPS, BARBER SHOPS AS WELL.

BUT JAZZ CLUB EXISTED.

AND PART OF BABY SENIORS NOVELTY BAR WHICH WAS MAYBE THE FIRST 24 HOUR SPOT IN THE CITY AND HE WELCOMED EVERYBODY AND ANYBODY.

SO, IT WAS A HOT SPOT.

THAT WAS A MAGNET.

AND IT SERVED TO MAKE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD VERY IMPORTANT TO THE VIBRANCY OF THAT MOSTLY BLACK COMMUNITY.

IT HELPED TO SITUATE THIS CITY IS A VERY IMPORTANT CITY WHERE JAZZ COULD THRIVE.

IT COULD BE PERFORMED, JAZZ MUSICIANS COULD COME FROM HERE TO LEAVE HERE, AND GO TO OTHER PLACES.

COLUMBUS HAS BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE SOME WONDERFUL MUSICIANS HERE.

WE COULD GO BACK TO THE EARL HOOD ORCHESTRA, OLD BOSS, RALEIGH RANDOLPH AND HIS SULTANS.

AND WITH THE RISE OF BEBOP AND MORE MODERN JAZZ AFTER WORLD WAR II, COLUMBUS TRULY GETS ON ON THE LARGEST MAP, AND WE HAVE FIGURES LIKE RUSTY BRIAN, KATE MAR, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

I WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TO CALL THE NAME OF NANCY WILSON.

SHE IS AN INCREDIBLE SINGER, [ INAUDIBLE ] GRADUATES HIGH SCHOOL, AN INCREDIBLE MUSICIAN.

JAZZ IS SOMETHING.

MANY SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S AMERICA'S GIFT, MUSICALLY, TO THE WORLD.