In america, the african call-and-response tradition can be traced from early african-american music through the blues and into jazz. what distinctive characteristic do we hear in call-and-response in jazz music?

The call-and-response tradition is a unique characteristic incorporated within several genres of music both past and contemporary. The call-and-response tradition is a broken into two different parts, where the first command serves as the call (statement, question, etc.), and the second part is the response in which serves as a direct reaction or response to the first part/call. The concept is popularly characterized in early African-American music, and has roots going further back.

In various African cultures, the call-and-response was used during both societal and religious rituals/gatherings for a community. It was bought to America when the slave trade saw the forced migrations of Africans to the New World, being used and sung as a source of inspiration during the hardships of slavery. The call-and-response trickled down through generations and is heavily used in Jazz music. Certain characteristics involve both the fist unit (call out to second) and the second unit (response to call) involving different tonal usage (ex. the call gives a statement, and the response repeats statement with question mark at end). Another characteristic involves instrumental usage, where different instruments may play a certain set notes, which is imitated by another section of instruments (ex. saxophones play a set of notes first, which the trumpets respond to, by imitating them).

As a large concentration of American music has been shaped by African musical contributions and influence, it may seen in various genres aside from Jazz, including blues, rock, and modern day pop music.

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