Miles Davis

Miles Dewey Davis (1926 -1999) was a hugely influential American jazz musician. In the 1940’s he was one of the biggest jazz names and became known around the world. He created many remarkable jazz albums throughout his successful career as a jazz musician. He had a talent for bringing together incredible jazz talents and creating incredible jazz bands. But he wasn’t just a bandleader, he was also jazz trumpeter and composer). His most popular album was Kind of Blue (1959) which is the #1 selling jazz album of all time.

Louis Armstrong

Louis Daniel Armstrong (1901 – 1971), also known as ”Snatch” is also one of the most influential American musicians in jazz history. Armstrong was a vocalist, trumpeter and composer and provided five decades of incredible jazz music. Originally, he joined the Olivers band but after much convincing by friends and family he decided to go solo in 1925 And this is when his career really took off! His most popular songs include ‘What a Wonderful World’, ‘These Foolish Things’, ‘Go Down Moses’ and ‘You Won’t Be Satisfied’.

Duke Ellington

Edward Kennedy (1899 – 1974) was an American jazz musician who was later named ”Duke” Ellington at the beginning of his jazz career. This gave him a suave and sophisticated entry into the jazz world. Ellington became the leader to many different successful jazz orchestras and he was also a composer and pianist. His career was very influential in jazz music and lastest for six successful decades. His best-known works include ‘In a Sentimental Mood’, ‘Take The A Train’, ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing’, ‘Sophisticated Lady’ and ‘I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart’.

John Coltrane

John Coltrane (1926 – 1967) was an American saxophonist and composer and his music are extremely well-known even in the present day. Coltrane was the man behind free jazz which was essentially experimenting with different jazz tones, chord changes, tempos etc. He changed jazz conventions for the future generations of aspiring jazz musicians. His most well-known works include ‘My One and Only Love’, ‘A Love Supreme’, ‘Every time We Say Goodbye’ and ‘Giant Steps’.

Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Jane Fitzgerald (1917 – 1996) earnt the name of ”Queen of Jazz” as she was one of the first incredible and successful female jazz musicans. She is well-known around the world for her unique and pure tone, incredible improvisation skills and fabulous timing, tone and phrasing in all of her songs. Fitzgerald created many successful albums and songs throughout her long career. Her most well known were ‘A-Tisket, A-Tasket’, ‘Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye’, ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing’, ‘Stairway To The Stairs’ and ‘The Man I Love.

Charlie Parker

Charles Parker (1920 – 1955) was an American saxophonist. Parker had an extremely short debut into the jazz world. However, he is one of the most influential well-known jazz musicians today. Parker made some massive discoveries about jazz music that change its history. He discovered a series of new musical vocabulary and sound. His most well-known works include ‘Now’s The TIme’, ‘A Night In Tunisia’, ‘Moose The Mooche’ and ‘My Little Suede Shoes’.

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”Strange Fruit” is without a doubt Bille Holidays most iconic and famous songs. It was released in April 1939 with a strong message against the inhumane cruelty of racism. It still remains one of the most popular jazz songs in the present day. Billie Holiday was an American singer who won four Grammy Awards. She’s arguably one of the most recognisable voice in jazz history. She had many jazz top hits so it is impossible to be a jazz fan and to not of heard of this incredible jazz artist.

Ray Charles – ”Georgia On My Mind”

Ray Charles released the song ”Georgia On My Mind” in September 1960. Charles was an American singer and labelled as a ”genius” and ”leader” in the jazz industry as he released some chart-topping hits. This song was written after a car journey, Charles was singing about the state of Georgia and his driver loved it. He suggested to publish it and convinced him the world would love it, so that’s exactly what he did. His music is still incredibly well-known and popular in present-day and he is undoubtedly an icon.

Frank Sinatra – ”Fly Me to the Moon”

Frank Sinatra’s ”Fly Me to the Moon” was released in 1962 as a single. It was originally written by Bart Howard in 1954 and called ”In Other Words”, the name change occurred due to a large number of people referring the song to ”Fly Me to the Moon” so it seemed fitting. It wasn’t long before this song stole the top place in the charts and it remained there for 13 long weeks. This song is inspired by love and the title acts as a metaphor for pursuing his love.

Nina Simone – ”My Baby Just Cares For Me”

”My Baby Just Cares for Me” is an iconic jazz song that was originally written by American songwriter Gus Kahn and composed by his fellow American songwriter Walter Donaldson. It was written for a film called Whoopee (1930) with a musical/ comedy genre that became hugely popular around the world. However, it was the American singer/songwriter Nina Simone’s incredible voice that made this song a hit single in the U.K. She released her single in 1959 unknown until a Chanel perfume advert used it. After this, it hit the charts and stayed there for weeks.

Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra – ”It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”

“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” was released in 1931. The confirmation of this song was created by the American Duke Ellington who was the greatest jazz composers of all time. Every jazz lover will know his name as he had the talent for bringing together the most talented jazz orchestras. And the lyrics were written by Irving Mills, a talented American music publisher. Mills stated that he wrote this song because of an evening out when people weren’t dancing to the music. He joked with this phrase to Ellington and it became the title.

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The Jazz Messengers were established in the 1950s. This jazz combo stayed together for over 35 years and became hugely successful worldwide. Some members left throughout the 35 years and were replaced but the band stayed top of the charts and continued to release classic and iconic jazz songs. The original band members included Art Blakey (drummer), Horace Silver (pianist), Kenny Dorham (trumpeter), Lou Donaldson (saxophonist) and Gene Ramey (double bassist). Their most famous songs include ‘New York’, ‘New Jazz’, ‘Olympia’, ‘One by One’, ‘Take Five’, ‘Two of a Kind’, ‘E.T.A’, ‘Black Jazz’, ‘Fuller Lover’ and many more.

Count Basie and his Orchestra

Count Basie and his Orchestra were founded in 1935 by William Basie, who was Count Basie. Originally, nine members made up this band. These members included Joe Keyes (soloist), Oran Page (trumpeter), Buster Smith (alto saxophone), Earle Warren (alto saxophone), Lester Young (tenor saxophone), Dan Minor (trombone) and Walter Page (multi-instrumentalist on bass and piano). This jazz band released many successful hit records. Their most well-known records include, ‘Every Tub’, ‘Send in the Clowns’, ‘Honeysuckle Rose’, ‘It’s Oh, So Nice’, ‘Flying Home’, ‘Magic Flea’, ‘Come Live With Me’, ‘Without a Song’, ‘I Only Have Eyes for you’.

Modern Jazz Quartet

Modern Jazz Quartet was established in 1946. For the most part, the band members included John Lewis (pianist), Connie Kay (drummer), Milt Jackson and Kenny Clarke (vibraphonist). They were a well-known name in the jazz world with many popular hits. Such as, ‘Summertime’, ‘One Note Samba’, ‘The Cylinder’, ‘Autumn in New York’, ‘One Bass Hit’, ‘How High the Moon’, ‘Odds Against Tomorrow’, ‘Two Degrees East, Three Degrees West’.

Miles Davis Quintet

The Miles Davis Quintet band was obviously led by the extremely talented musician Miles Davis. He created this band in 1955 and they created music for over 15 years together. The members included Tony Williams (drummer), Ron Carter (double bass), Wayne Shorter (Tenor Saxophone), Herbie Handcock (Piano) and Philly Joe Jones (drummer). Jazz enthusiasts with undoubtedly recognise at least one of their songs. Popular songs include ‘So What’, ‘Milestones’, ‘Blue in Green’, ‘Human Nature’, ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’, ‘It Never Entered My Mind’, ‘Bopilicity’, ‘The Senate’.

Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five

Louis Daniel Armstrong was an American trumpeter, composer, vocalist, and actor with a huge passion for creating jazz music. He was extremely influential in jazz history. He created Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five in 1925. The original band consisted of Armstrong’s wife, Lil Hardin Armstrong (pianist), Kid Ory (trombone), Johnny Dodds (clarinet) and Johnny St. Cyr (guitar and banjo). However, in 1928, he decided to replace all band members apart from himself. He made this decision in hope that his band would make it in the jazz world and become more successful. And they did. They went on to create many well-known songs. Such as ‘Hotter Than That’, ‘Ory’s Creole Trombone’, ‘Heebie Jeebies’, ‘King of the Zulus’, ‘Two Dueces’, ‘Struttin’ With Some Barbecue’, ‘Savoy Blues’ and more.

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It isn’t just Las Vegas that offers bustling and thriving casino venues. Casinos are consistently growing in popularity throughout the years. And London is seeing more opening up to the public each year. As these venues become a popular place to head to for entertainment and a night of fun and socialising. And jazz nights are becoming a hugely successful theme for casino owners. Because who doesn’t love a good old jazz band? Jazz, dancing, socialising and gambling is the combination for a good night. Trust us on that. So if you’re heading to London, here are the best casinos (that will host jazz nights regularly)…

Top Casinos for Jazz Nights

The Hippodrome Casino London
Address: Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, West End, London WC2H 7JH, United Kingdom

Genting Casino Chinatown London
Address: 93, 107 Shaftesbury Ave, Soho, London W1D 5DY, United Kingdom

The Palm Beach Casino
Address: 30 Berkeley St, Mayfair, London W1J 8EH, United Kingdom

Grosvenor Casino, The Victoria
Address: 150-162 Edgware Rd, London W2 2DT, United Kingdom

Grosvenor Casino, The Barracuda
Address: 1 Baker St, Marylebone, London W1U 8ED, United Kingdom

The Sportsman Casino
Address: 16 Old Quebec St, Marylebone, London W1H 7AF, United Kingdom

Horizons Casino
Address: Queens House, 1 Leicester Square, West End, London WC2H 7RN, United Kingdom

Grosvenor Casino, St Giles
Address: 262 Tottenham Court Rd, Bloomsbury, London W1T 7RG, United Kingdom

Grosvenor Casino, The Park Tower
Address: 01 Knightsbridge, Belgravia, London SW1X 7RQ, United Kingdom

Maxims Club Casino
Address: 1a Palace Gates Rd, Palace Gate, South Kensington, London W8 5LS, United Kingdom

Crown London Aspinalls
Address: 27-28 Curzon St, Mayfair, London W1J 7TJ, United Kingdom

Les Ambassadeurs Casino
Address: 5 Hamilton Pl, Mayfair, London W1J 7ED, United Kingdom

The Poker Room
Address: 150A Edgware Rd, Marylebone, London W2 2DT, United Kingdom

Lola’s Underground Casino
Cranbourn St, West End, London WC2H 7JH, United Kingdom

Grosvenor Casino, Golden Horseshoe
Address: 79-81 Queensway, Bayswater, London W2 4QH, United Kingdom

Each of these casinos has a 4 star or above rating on tripadvisor. Although not all the casinos hold jazz nights weekly (or even monthly) they are all known for hosting them before. Some big jazz artists have played at these casino venues. If you want more information on specific dates and times, check out each individual website for a full schedule. It’s time to get your boogie and gamble the night away in one of the best citites in the world! The bustling nightlife with the upbeat and energetic jazz is enough to get put anybody into a good mood.

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The sophisticated, elegant and upbeat tones fit perfectly with a night of gambling and socialising on the casino floor. Jazz music uplifts people and is sure to add enjoyment to your evening. And if you want to find out which slot games are the best to play or learn the rules of blackjack, check out casinosjungle.com. There are many different reviews of slots with all the information you need!

Which casinos are known for holding jazz nights?

Of course, almost every popular casino around the world is likely to have hosted a jazz night at least once. Let’s specifically look at the gambling capital, Las Vegas, Nevada, and which casinos to visit if you want to boogie. So if you want to join in with a high energy night these are the best casinos to visit in Las Vegas

Golden Nugget Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
Address: 129 E Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United State

Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa
Address: 11011 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89135, United States

The STRAT Hotel, Casino & SkyPod
Address: 2000 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89104, United States

Palace Station Race & Sports Book
Address: 2411 W Sahara Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89102, United States

Fremont Hotel & Casino
Address: 200 E Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States

Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
Address: 3000 Paradise Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States

SAHARA, Las Vegas
Address: 2535 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States

Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Address: 3950 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas, NV 89119-1006
00 1 877-632-7800

Caesars Palace
Address: 3570 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States

Excalibur Hotel & Casino
Address: 3850 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States

Wynn Las Vegas Casino
Address: 3131 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States

The Palazzo Resort Casino
Address: 3325 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States +1 702-607-7777

The Venetian Las Vegas
Address: 3355 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States +1 702-414-1000

Casino at Bellagio
Address: 3600 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States•+1 888-987-6667

Ellis Island Casinos & Brewery
Address: 4250 Koval Ln, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States

All of these casinos hold many different entertainment nights for their guests. Check out their individual websites for more information and a detailed timetable. Any casino that you choose to visit from this list will not disappoint. However, you must ensure that you research which slot and table games are available at each casino so you’re not disappointed. A night of jazz and gambling awaits.

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1. Jazz music originally started out as pop

In the 19th century jazz was orginally thought of as pop. This is because it was widely associated with dance music, party music and upbeat tones. ‘Pop’ and ‘popular music’ are both used interchangeably. So its no suprise that during this period in time jazz was seen as pop as it was undoubtedly the most popular genre of music at this time. Almost every bar would be playing jazz and people would booging until late hours! Jazz music was assicoated with dance and party music. It’s now seen more as a sophisticated and established genre of music depiste its roots actually being the opposite.

2. The very popular and used term ”’hipster” actually derived from jazz music.

The term ”hispter” came from a term ”jazz cats” which most people will probably be familiar with. The term was used to describe cool jazz musicans that created smooth musical harmonies and were the best in society at the time. If you were called a ”jazzcat” you were seen as an elite jazz musician. You were always out in the late hours of the night at popular bars with big crowds. Eventually they started being call a hepcat, which went on to hepster. Then the term ”hispter” was created

3. Jazz artists regularly use secret hand and body signals throughout performances

If you’ve ever watched a jazz performance live before, you’ve probably never noticed this. There’s a lot going on in a jazz performance, along with all the booging. It’s very common that jazz musicans will use secret hand and body signals to communicate with each other during thier performances. This is the easy way to communicate over the loud music and crowds. So if you watch closely next time, you’ll see nods, finger points and feet stomping. Each movement indicates something different. For example, a finger pointed at the head means its time to play the ”head”. The jazz world has its very own sign language!

4. No one actually knows how jazz music got called ”jazz”

There is no record in history of how jazz music got its name. The only thing we know is that jazz used to be called ‘jass’. And somewhere along the way its named was changed to become more appealing. Who, when and where this name changed remains a mystery. But it stuck!

5. Jazz musicians switch off a part of their brain when they perform improvisation

All jazz musicans will agree that a part of their brain switches off during improvisation. This probably sounds strange to the average person… surely you will need to use more brain cells to improvise right? Well actually no. It’s how they connect and freeflow with the music. It’s actually been proven that the dorsolateral prefrontal and lateral orbital regions that help our thought processes switch off during improvisation. And the medial profrontal cortex turns on instead. This part of the brain is what helps long term memory. So many musicans are playing from memory with little thought process behind their next move. It allows the music to flow naturally and almost effortlessly. Of course, this comes from years of practice. So only highly skilled jazz musicans will fully master improvision.

6. Jazz is making a huge comeback

Well this might not be suprising fact to some people, it’s most definitely a fact. Jazz music is on the rise once again and very present in contemporary music. It use to be viewed as a elegant, sophisticated and upper-class genre of music for a specific audience. But it’s now being integrated into present day pop. For example, artists such as Kendrick Lamar now uses jazz undertones in their music. His song ‘For Free’ which was released in 2015 has a genre of contemporary soul, hip-hop/rap and jazz. There is many jazz insipired hip hop songs now.

7. Jazz music has been proven to increase serotonin levels

Yes, that’s right, listening to jazz music can make you happy. Its also relaxes you by slowing your heart rate which lowers blood pressure. We suspect this is due to its unlifting and incredible harmonies. It’s been proven that people who listen to jazz are 26% less depressed than people who don’t. So if you’re feeling down, you know what to do! Put on some jazz music and boost your mood.

8. Jazz music can improve creativity and productivity greatly

If boosting your serotonin levels wasn’t enough, listening to jazz musics for 20 mins or more can massively impact your creativity. Scientists discovered that listening to jazz at work can improve creativity and productivity by up to 20%. This is because the sounds created brain waves that can produce those light bulb moments that everyone loves. It can inspire new perspectives, ideas and solutions. If you want more specifics, fundamentally jazz switches on the theta brain waves (4-8 hertz). This is the most creative brain wave.

9. If jazz didn’t exist, many dance styles wouldn’t either

Jazz is responsible for the birth of many dance styles, such as the Charleston, tango, black bottom and the trot. All of these dance styles were hugely popular in American during history and this was all because of jazz music. This is because most dance halls in American only existed for tango and waltz. In fact, dance halls really weren’t very popular initally. But the creation of jazz music influenced many more dance halls to open up as people started to enjoy a boogie in the evenings. Eventually new dancing styles were created as the popularity of dancing grew and new styles were created consistenly.

10. Jazz is the most hybrid forms of music

Jazz presents the most hybrid form of music with a mixture of many different brass instruments. Not only can jazz be performed with many different elements mixing together to make beautiful harmony. But it also is very spontaneous and improvised often. There are no so many different types of jazz music. Such as bebop, trad, bossa nova jazz, dixieland, free jazz, soul jazz, free jazz and many more sub-genres.

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Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club

Ronnie Scotts is undoubtedly the most popular and well-known jazz club in London. In fact, it is one of the most famous jazz clubs in the world! With many talented and successful musicians performing here. Ronnie Scotts is situated in Soho, well-known as the district of fashion and music. In Soho, you get the feeling that you can be anyone you want, with so many quirky and unique individuals. The stylish and fresh vibe makes it the perfect place for Ronnie Scott’s. However, this club is very sophisticated and usually attracts more of an upper-class crowd, with some shows being fairly expensive (but very worth it!). It celebrates the genre of jazz in all its beauty and asks quests to remain silent through performances. So everyone can solely focus on the spectacular harmonies and rhythms of jazz music. If you want to visit this jazz club then you better book quick. Shows sell out extremely fastly.

And guess what? this venue also hosts The Late Late Show with James Cordon. A late-night talk show! This runs a few times a week and each time a different jazz band will be chosen to feature. You’ll view some of London’s top jazz musicians! And get to enjoy a mixture of jazz and comedy all in the same sitting.

Pizza Express Jazz Club

Pizza Express Jazz Club is no more than a 5-minute walk from Ronnie Scotts. It has also become very well-known and is a popular choice for Londoners and visitors. The club is award-winning and regularly holds performances from the top jazz musicians in the industry. There have been many famous musicians that have played there, such as pianists Lennie Felix and Brian Lemon. And also many extremely famous singers such as Amy Winehouse, Gregory Porter, Benny Carter, Brad Mehlday, Rick Wakeman and many more. Check their website out for an extensive list of performers! The club has no won many awards. Such as Time Out and Parliamentary Jazz Awards and the impressive ”Venue of the Year’ at the London Lifestyle Awards (in both 2015 and 2016). And of course, everyone knows that Pizza Express pizza is the best. So, Jazz and a delicious pizza, does it get much better?

The 606 Jazz Club

The 606 Jazz Club is situated in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Despite the venue being very small and intimate (with 175 people being the capacity), it’s extremely popular and well-known as one of London’s best jazz venues. You can attend a jazz night every single night of the week if you wanted to! The 606 hosts a different jazz performance 7 days a week. Usually, there are two different bands that play each night. It’s the perfect place for jazz musicians from all over the world to showcase their music as the club encourages new and fresh jazz bands. You can spend a whole evening here with a delicious and extensive food menu. Guests that attend The 606 are always respectful of the performances and remain quiet. So if you come here you know you’re experience of jazz music will be undisrupted and wonderful.

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The genre of jazz music was created in the late 19th century by the famous and talented American African Charles Joseph, also known as Buddy Bolden (1877-1931). In the 1900s Bolden was without a doubt the most well-known and popular jazz artist in New Orleans- everybody knew his name. His exceptional talent to create jazz still influences jazz music today. The fundamental key elements of jazz music derived from Bolden’s ideas and creations. That’s why he’s seen as a key contributor in the history and invention of jazz. Initially, Buddy called this music ‘jass’ but as it grew more popular it became ‘jazz’ as this name was more appealing. However, it was 1895 when jazz music really took off around the world. This year is when Bolden started his first band,

Around the time that jazz was invented there is actually little evidence of jazz works. But there’s one thing for certain – if Bolden wasn’t the inventor of jazz, he was certainly the first king. His style is described as innovative, stylish and of course, extremely harmonious. People from all over the world got to hear his music and you’d hear it playing regularly in bars. With people dancing around enjoying his incredible musical style. His vocal characteristics also blew people away and are perhaps what made him a star. He was a significant reason for the popularity of jazz music. The songs he created are still very much listened to today. His most well-known works include ‘Funky Butt’, ‘Get Out of Here’, ‘Careless Love’, ‘If You Don’t Shake’, ‘High Society Rag’ and ‘Buddy’s Habits’. Soulful melodies, upbeat dance tunes and the mixture of brass instruments made Bolden a huge part of the jazz movement.

The elements of Jazz

There are many elements that combine to make jazz music. You can have a mixture of brass instruments which create a beautiful harmony. A jazz band will usually include a vocalist, trumpet player, tenor trombone player (usually three) and a bass trombone player. Improvisation plays a massive part in the creation of jazz music- it’s all part of the fun! People love when jazz bands go off track and create their own music on the spot. It also gives all members of a band a chance to show off their skill set with a solo. It’s the essence of jazz music. And obviously requires great skill, which is why people love it so much. Jazz is very rhythmic, you may also hear it referred to as ”swing’, ‘bent’ or ‘blue’.

Different types of jazz music

The most magical thing about jazz music is that it can create any emotion. Whether its an upbeat and happy song or a painful and unhappy song. Many jazz artists, particularly in history, used jazz to express the suffering and unjust in the world. For example, Ella Fitzgerald made music about the unfair treatment of people of colour. Her music was a stand against racial discrimination and she expressed her pain through her music. There can be significant variations in jazz music so it has the power to express many different emotions. Each jazz musician will find their own sound and style and this is what makes them all unique and special. For example, Louis Armstrong plays the trumpet very different from Miles Davis. The two distinct styles are evident in all of their music. And both are extremely well-known and famous jazz musicians.

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