The Concept of "Urban Jazz", is based on the premise, or principle that all modern (Popular) music in the Western Hemisphere, i.e. North & South America, The Caribbean and Europe evolved from Blues & Jazz.

After being forcibly uprooted from their homelands in the 17 & 1800's during the Transatlantic Slave Trade, as Africans began to arrive in the West, so too came their music, which later developed into Rural-African-Folk music. In the Southern states of America, such as Louisiana, Georgia and Alabama, the music was able to flourish into what became known by the beginning of the 1900's as Country Blues. Powerful and pure, it expressed the hopes and dreams of an oppressed people.

It later took on various forms such as: Ragtime, Swing, Urban Blues & Black Church (Gospel) music. As the music grew in popularity, it took on new characteristics depending upon the experiences of the people, for example; during periods of hardship, the music was made predominately by men such as Robert Johnson, John Lee Hooker, Blind Lemon Jefferson & Muddy Waters, many of whose turbulent and tragic lives, mirrored that of today's Rappers, such as Tupac Shakur, DMX & Ghost Face Killer.....(Read More)

DJ DSL, October 2004