Question 2 of 21

What city is often cited as the birthplace of jazz?

... At the start of the 20th century, New Orleans was known for its atmosphere of freedom and tolerance. This atmosphere, combined with a diverse population and rich Spanish and French cultures, helped to give birth to jazz music.

Question 3 of 21

Jazz evolved from this form of music.

... Jazz evolved from southern blues music, which was itself inspired by hymns, traditional work songs and call-and-response-style field hollers.

Question 4 of 21

What decade is often known as the Jazz Age?

... During the 1920s, jazz musicians migrated out of the South and into urban centers in the North. The popularity of jazz music throughout the country during this period led many to describe the 1920s as the Jazz Age.

Question 5 of 21

Jazz legend Louis Armstrong is perhaps best known for his skill with this instrument.

... Louis Armstrong learned to play the cornet as a child, and later became one of the most famous trumpet players in the world. After his death, the popularity of his classic song "What a Wonderful World" helped to spur interest in both Armstrong and the jazz genre.

Question 6 of 21

What jazz style emerged in the 1940s and featured an urgent, frenetic rhythm and dominant drum beat?

... During the 1940s, legends Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker created a type of music known as bebop, or bop. Bebop was largely instrumental, though some performances featured short phrases and nonsensical shouts in place of traditional lyrics.

Question 7 of 21

Bandleader Art Blakey was one of the few jazz bandleaders in history who was also known for playing this instrument.

... Art Blakey was one of the few drummers who also became a well-known bandleader. He helped to create a form of music known as hard bop, which combined blues, gospel, rhythm and bebop.

Question 8 of 21

Jazz icon Miles Davis once said of this jazz legend, "Everyone ought to get down on their knees one day and thank ... "

... Miles Davis paid tribute to jazz legend Duke Ellington with this famous quote. Duke Ellington was not only known for his performances, but also for his countless classic jazz compositions. His career spanned more than five decades, making him one of the best known names in the genre from the 1920s through the 1970s.

Question 9 of 21

Thelonious Monk, famous for his song "'Round Midnight," was also a master of this instrument.

... Monk was a well-known pianist, and first performed his hit "'Round Midnight" in 1944. He later became one of the most famous post-war jazz musicians, landing on the cover of "Time" in 1964.

Question 10 of 21

This form of jazz emerged during the 1940s as a less frenetic alternative to bebop.

... Cool jazz evolved as a more moderate and reflective alternative to bebop. This largely instrumental genre featured far less shouting and vocalization than bebop. Miles Davis was a legend in the cool jazz arena.

Question 11 of 21

James P. Johnson composed the music for this dance, which is closely associated with the Jazz Age.

... Johnson not only composed a piece of music called "Charleston," he also helped to develop an innovative piano technique known as "stride."

Question 12 of 21

Jelly Roll Morton composed the classic jazz tune "Black Bottom Stomp," and is perhaps best known for playing this instrument.

... Jelly Roll Morton claimed to have invented jazz as early as 1902. Given that he wasn't born until 1890, his claims are likely false. Morton became a jazz legend thanks to his piano playing and composition skills.

Question 13 of 21

What star of jazz once said, "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know"?

... Louis Armstrong famously said, "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know," referencing the ever-changing, hard-to-define nature of jazz.

Question 14 of 21

What form of jazz that features a polyphonic sound with upswinging phrases was inspired by the earliest roots of New Orleans jazz music?

... Dixieland jazz features a more polyphonic sound than many other types of jazz music, and often incorporates banjos along with traditional brass instruments.

Question 15 of 21

What famous sax player was often called "Yardbird" or "Bird"?

... Charlie Parker went by the nicknames "Bird" or "Yardbird." He helped popularize the bebop movement during the late '40s and '50s.

Question 16 of 21

Fact or fiction: Jazz music is rarely improvised, and follows a fairly strict musical structure.

... Fiction: Improvisation is one of the most important skills for jazz musicians, with spontaneity and performance valued over traditional music structure.

Question 17 of 21

Fact or fiction: Jazz is closely associated with the AABA song form.

... Fact: The 32-bar AABA song form is heavily featured throughout jazz music, from the earliest works to modern compositions.

Question 18 of 21

In 1938, this jazz vocalist had a #1 record with the song, "A-Tisket, A-Tasket."

... Ella Fitzgerald scored a #1 hit in 1938 with "A-Tisket, A-Tasket." Known as the "First Lady of Song," she remained one of the most in-demand jazz singers until her death in the 1990s.

Question 19 of 21

Saxophonist Ornette Coleman is often associated with this avant-garde jazz genre.

... Ornette Coleman helped to develop the free jazz genre, which features a loose, stream-of-consciousness approach to melody.

Question 20 of 21

What trumpet-playing jazz musician is credited for fusing jazz with Latin music during the 1940s?

... Dizzy Gillespie not only played a mean trumpet, but also helped to create the Latin jazz genre by fusing jazz with Cuban music.

Question 21 of 21

Pianist and composer Scott Joplin was best known for his contributions to this early ancestor to jazz.

... Scott Joplin was known for his contributions to the ragtime genre. Joplin and other musicians "ragged" popular songs, giving them a whole new sound by alternating strong and weak beats.

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