When it comes to jazz, there’s no end to the number of genres and variations you’ll find.
Razzmajazz Dixieland Band has been celebrating classic trad Dixieland jazz since 1984 and their songs have been the talk of the town. Be it a wedding or a birthday party, you really need the right set of instruments to create the perfect sound for the jam.
When it comes to styles of jazz, each one calls for a different musical instrument to create the symphony that’s unique to that style.
Here are a few musical instruments that are instrumental in creating different styles of jazz.
1. Trumpet
The Renaissance period was the turning point in history when trumpets underwent serious changes. However, they had been in existence for much longer and that explains their importance in jazz music as well.
During the earliest years, trumpets were used as an instrument in a war when the enemy battalions were spotted on the horizon. Back then, trumpets were a modern substitute, which had evolved from animal horns that were used for the same purpose.
Trumpets soon became instrumental to jazz music. It’s interesting how jazz trumpeters go for trumpets with a narrower mouthpiece to play sounds that suit the style best.
2. Saxophone
You may have heard of the soprano sax, the tenor sax, the alto sax and the baritone sax. These are all varieties of saxophones, used in music.
With a history and origin that doesn’t go as far back as that of the trumpets, the saxophone is a fairly nascent addition to the pool of musical instruments we have.
Invented in 1840 by Antoine-Joseph (Adolphe) Sax, saxophones have since then diversified into multiple types and sizes that are often seen in jazz band performances. Bands like ours have experienced musicians who have mastered the correct embouchure needed to play a saxophone fluently.
3. Piano
Jazz is one of those music forms that predominantly rely on pianos for the music they create. It’s not only an instrument you’ve heard played by virtuosos like Mozart or Beethoven.
This instrument belongs to the keyboard family, and is a chordophone as told by the Sachs-Hornbostel system. Essential to a jazz band, pianos have become uniquely popular owing to the rise in preference for a taste of jazz.
4. Trombone
Visually similar to a trumpet, a trombone is a descendent of the same family. It’s interesting how a trombone can be played in two distinct ways, to suit the style of music. Music is written down in the bass clef if it’s a wind band; otherwise it’s written in the treble chef for a brass band.
This instrument can produce an amazing array of sounds, from high pitch to low, just by adjusting the mouthpiece. Thus this instrument has acquired a special place alongside trumpets and pianos, in traditional jazz.
We are a Dixieland jazz band that performs live music at corporate events and social occasions.
We have been performing for over 39 years and have played for clients such as:
- Six Flags Over Texas
- IBM
- Globe Life Park
- Children’s Medical Center
- Main Street Arts Festival – Fort Worth
- Denton Arts and Jazz Festival
- North American Society of First Responders
- Pecan Street Arts Festival – Arlington
- Anatole Hotel
- Fort Worth Boat Club
- St Alban’s Parish – Anglican
- Walnut Creek Country Club
- Dallas Museum of Art
- National Semiconductor
- Fielder Road Baptist Church
- Anheuser-Busch
- Texas Rangers
- Albertson’s Food Stores
- Richland Pointe Mall
- Mesquite Exchange Club
- AeroSpace Optics
- Plano Firefighters Assoc.
- Junior League of Arlington
- Ft. Worth Cattledrive Rest.
- Brinker International
- Park Suites Hotel
- Dallas Mavericks
- Case Power and Equipment
- Mira Vista Country Club
- Law Offices of Windle Turley