All That Jazz: How American Jazz Inspired British Female Artists For Decades
How American jazz lingers in the voices of Britain's female acts
Listening to RAYE sing “Fly Me to the Moon” on CNN made me think of Jazz’s relevance in the UK. Why is jazz the default singing style some Brits like to go for? After researching, I realized that American jazz is heavily tributed in the UK. It’s a cultural muse that has wowed Brit female artists for decades. Sometimes it feels like Brits love jazz more than Americans.
In this article, I will discuss the following:
- How jazz entered the United Kingdom?
- The first British female artists inspired by American jazz?
- Analyzing jazz’s influence in the last 40 years in British female artists.
History of Jazz in the UK
Europe pulled from American rock and roll, blues, and hip-hop, but jazz is one of the earliest. Before rock ‘n roll took over the UK, Brits were loving jazz.
Jazz reached Britain in the 1920s thanks to the American touring scene and live performances. British musicians loved the solo recordings of American jazz musician Louis Armstrong. However, jazz was not commercial until the 1940s. Troops needed…
