jazz
C1Informal, artistic, technical (within musicology), general
Definition
Meaning
A style of music that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, characterized by improvisation, syncopated rhythms, and a strong beat.
Energy, excitement, or liveliness; also refers to empty or exaggerated talk (e.g., 'all that jazz'). As a verb, it means to play jazz music or to liven something up.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term often implies artistic sophistication, cultural heritage (particularly African-American), and spontaneity. When used as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'I love jazz'), it refers to the genre. As a countable noun, it can denote a type or instance (e.g., 'cool jazz', 'a modern jazz').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in definition. The term's origin is American, and the cultural reference is primarily to the U.S. tradition.
Connotations
In the UK, 'jazz' can sometimes carry a slightly more 'niche' or 'traditional' connotation compared to its central role in American music history.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in both dialects, but culturally more central to everyday American lexicon and history.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + jazz: play jazz, listen to jazz, study jazzjazz + [noun]: jazz musician, jazz improvisation[adjective] + jazz: cool jazz, free jazz, vocal jazzjazz (something) up (phrasal verb)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “and all that jazz”
- “jazz something up”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'We need to jazz up the presentation for the investors.' (meaning: make it more lively/engaging)
Academic
The paper examines the socio-political roots of early jazz in New Orleans.
Everyday
There's a great jazz band playing at the pub tonight.
Technical
The soloist employed a complex system of chord substitutions common in post-bop jazz.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- They jazzed the old tune up for the festival.
- The comedian can really jazz up a tired routine.
American English
- Let's jazz this party up a little!
- He jazzed up the report with some cool graphics.
adverb
British English
- (No standard adverbial use. 'Jazzily' is rare and non-standard.)
American English
- (No standard adverbial use.)
adjective
British English
- She has a great jazz collection.
- The festival had a real jazz atmosphere.
American English
- He's a jazz drummer from Chicago.
- We checked out the jazz scene in the Village.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I like jazz music.
- There is a jazz band in the park.
- My father listens to jazz on the radio.
- We went to a small jazz club last weekend.
- Modern jazz can be quite complex and challenging to listen to.
- The documentary explored the influence of blues on early jazz.
- His improvisation seamlessly blended elements of modal jazz with contemporary harmonies.
- The critic argued that the commercialisation of the genre diluted the avant-garde essence of true jazz.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
JAZZ = Jazzy, Animated, Zealous, Zestful. Imagine a musician playing with great energy and zeal.
Conceptual Metaphor
JAZZ IS LIVELINESS/ENERGY (e.g., 'That really jazzed up the party'), JAZZ IS SOPHISTICATED CONVERSATION (e.g., 'intellectual jazz' - though archaic).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'jazz' as 'джаз' in the idiom 'and all that jazz'. The idiom means 'and all that stuff/and so on' (и всё такое, и всё в этом роде).
- The verb 'to jazz something up' is not simply 'играть джаз', but 'оживить, расцветить'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'a jazz' incorrectly (e.g., 'I listen to a jazz'). Usually non-count: 'I listen to jazz'. Can be count when specifying: 'He plays a cool jazz.'
- Confusing 'jazz' (music) with 'jazz' as meaningless talk (now somewhat dated).
Practice
Quiz
In the phrase 'and all that jazz', what does 'jazz' mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes, when referring to the genre ('I love jazz'). It becomes countable when referring to a specific type or style ('the jazzes of the 1940s', 'a cool jazz').
It is a phrasal verb meaning to make something more exciting, attractive, or lively, e.g., 'They jazzed up the website with new animations.'
It is standard English but carries informal connotations when used outside of musical terminology (e.g., 'jazz up'). In musicology, it is a formal technical term.
The etymology is uncertain but it emerged in early 20th-century American English, associated with the music scene in New Orleans. It is not fabricated; its early spellings included 'jass'.