New Orleans is a city of blends. Whether it's the blending of foods and spices to create its signature gumbo or whether it's the blending of cultures and sounds that make up its jazz, New Orleans blends in a way few cities can match. As the Civil War drew to a close, New Orleans became a hot spot for many for its cosmopolitan atmosphere. It became the city that gave birth to "ragtime." Ragtime is a blend of parlor, African rhythms, Caribbean, Church, Creole, and Cajun songs. Ragtime also became the seed from which jazz blossomed.

Question

Jazz became so popular that it changed the way people wrote and performed music. It also changed the landscape of American popular culture. Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald called the 1920s the "Jazz Age." In his book, the "Jazz Age" became heavily identified with liquor, youth, excess, and a free lifestyle. Most of these characteristics are now identified with rock 'n' roll.
Despite the connotations, jazz continues to be an influential genre of music, and Americans have New Orleans to thank for that.

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Many attribute Elvis Presley as starting a movement that would later be known as rock 'n' roll. In 1954, Elvis recorded for Sam Philips in Memphis' Sun Studios. What Philips recorded became part of the backbone that brought rock 'n' roll to America. While there is certainly no denying Elvis' appeal and popularity helped to bring rock 'n' roll to the American mainstream, he did not invent rock 'n' roll.
Rock 'n' roll was heavily influenced by African-American rhythm and blues with white, hillbilly country music. Elvis took from artists like B.B. King and Hank Snow. He borrowed from the blues, jazz, country, and gospel music.
Initially, rock 'n' roll was something uniquely American and loved by its youth, but now its popularity has grown beyond just America and its youth. Rock 'n' roll has Elvis to thank for its popularity, and Elvis has many other blues, country, and gospel singers to thank for helping to shape his sound.
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Use information from the two articles above to compare and contrast jazz and rock 'n' roll.

In what way are jazz and rock 'n' roll different?
A.
They appealed to different age groups.
B.
They were influenced by widely different sounds.
C.
They identified with different values.
D.
They developed during different eras.

Answer 1

To compare and contrast jazz and rock 'n' roll based on the provided articles, we can identify several key differences.

1. Target Audience: Jazz was often associated with a more established, cosmopolitan atmosphere during its rise in the early 20th century, including its ties to the "Jazz Age" of the 1920s, which highlighted youth, excess, and a free lifestyle. In contrast, rock 'n' roll, particularly in the mid-20th century with Elvis Presley's influence, was more distinctly identified with youth culture but also broadened its appeal beyond just young people to a wider audience.

2. Influences: Jazz is described as a blend of various musical forms, including parlor music, African rhythms, Caribbean sounds, Church music, and Creole and Cajun influences. Meanwhile, rock 'n' roll emerged as a fusion of African-American rhythm and blues and white hillbilly country music, with influences from blues, jazz, country, and gospel as well.

3. Cultural Values: The cultural connotations associated with jazz in the 1920s included themes of youth, excess, and a free lifestyle, which align with the celebrated characteristics of that time. Conversely, while rock 'n' roll also appealed to youth, it evokes different values of rebellion and cultural shifts of the mid-20th century, often representing a break from societal norms.

4. Era of Development: Jazz developed earlier in the 20th century and gave birth to several subsequent genres, including rock 'n' roll. The "Jazz Age," characterized by the roaring twenties, contrasted with the rise of rock 'n' roll in the 1950s.

Given these observations, the most appropriate answer to the question of how jazz and rock 'n' roll are different is:

C. They identified with different values.

While they also differed in their target audiences and the era of development, the most distinct difference highlighted is their association with differing cultural values.