Though they might be jazz fans for different reasons, many people can relate to first discovering and falling in love with jazz music.

They won't agree on the best jazz record or best jazz musician (and sometimes, they can't even agree on what Jazz is and isn't). However, they can still agree that Jazz is an essential musical art form.

Something about Jazz makes it so infectious and enticing. 

At its roots, Jazz is an African-American art form that combines elements of blues music (folk music of multiple origins), ragtime, and European classical music. Jazz began in New Orleans with marching and brass bands in the early 20th century. It quickly transcended borders, becoming a music with a profound global influence, resonating with people from all walks of life.

Jazz is collaborative, involves a high level of interaction between the musicians, and features overlapping rhymes and beats. It is fundamentally democratic, fostering a sense of equality and respect among its participants.

For democracies and jazz performances to function correctly and effectively, everyone has to listen to and respect each other. 

Like democracy, Jazz balances tradition and innovation, individualism and collectivism, past and future, stability and change, conventionality and progress.

Also, like an ideal democracy, Jazz doesn't care who you are—all that matters is how you play. What matters is what you contribute and what you have to say—not what you look like or where you come from.

Age, experience level, size, shape, color, personal background, class, gender, sexual orientation, spoken language, clothing style, etc. don't matter. Jazz is egalitarian that way, just like an ideal democracy. It's a musical form that welcomes everyone, making them feel included and valued.*

Jazz music reflects, expresses, and models America's best values.

This colorful painting, by the wonderful Bill Bell, features one of Jazz's greats, Billie Holiday, and her band of incredible musicians. When we saw it, we realized that it totally exemplified the collaborative style of Jazz, and we thought it made a great wooden jigsaw puzzle to share with friends and family.

*With thanks to LearnJazzStandards.com for these definitions and descriptions.