1. The first forms of jazz resulted from blending improvisational approaches to ragtime, blues, spirituals, marches, and popular tunes.
2. The first jazz bands used the instruments of brass bands: trumpet, clarinet, trombone, tuba, drums, (and saxophone).
3. The earlist jazz was not recorded. We can only infer how it sounded on the basis of recordings made by New Orleans players after they had moved to Chicago.
4. The first jazz group to record was the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917.
5. Chicago was the jazz center of the world during the 1920's.
6. The earliest significant New Orleans pianist-composer was Jelly Roll Morton.
7. James P. Johnson was considered the "father" of stride piano.
8. Fats Waller was one of the most popular jazz musicians of the 1920's and 30's, as well as a prolific composer.
9. Waller brought a lightness and springy quality to stride style.
10. Earl Hines devised the "trumpet-style" of piano playing in which phrases are more "horn-like" than pianistic.
11. Louis Armstrong was one of the first combo players to effectively demonstrate solo improvisation instead of retaining the New Orleans tradition of collective improvisation.
12. Louis Armstrong possessed a larget tone, wider range, and better command of the trumpet than most early players. His solo improvisations were especially well constructed.
13. Bix Beiderbecke was one of the first "cool style" jazz improvisers.