Jazz is a style of music that originated in African-American communities in and around the New Orleans area. It originated during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jazz developed from roots in Ragtime and Blues music. Jazz has been a major form of Music since the 1920s. Jazz is Known for swing and blue notes. It is known for improvisation. As jazz spread around the world, it drew on different local, regional, and national musical cultures. This gave rise to many distinctive styles. Today there are many different genres of Jazz music. The first playlist has some traditional Jazz music. The second playlist has a collection of Smooth Jazz songs. The third playlist has a collection of Funk music. The fourth playlist has a collection of Gypsy Jazz music. The fifth playlist has contains a collection of fusion funk. There are over 200 songs in the combined playlists below. These free Jazz backing tracks will keep you busy for a long time.
Jazz
There is a lot of sub-genres in the Jazz category. In this playlist, you will find Traditional Jazz along with Latin Jazz and Swing Jazz. You will also hear Bossa Nova styles as well. These tracks are collected from various artists on YouTube. There are 38 tracks total and they are free to use and play along with
Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz. It is Jazz music that is influenced by funk, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and pop music styles. The roots of Smooth Jazz goes back to at least the late 1960s. This playlist contains 37 Smooth Jazz tracks. They are assembled from various artists across the YouTube Community.
Funk
Nothing can get your toe tapping like funk music! The syncopated rhythm structures are really addicting. Generally speaking, Funk music is harder than other mainstream music forms. Some of the best Funk music combines the syncopated Rhythm styles of Funk with a Smooth Jazz feel. This playlist of 39 Funk backing tracks is a good place to practice all your funk rhythms and solos. Have Fun!
Gypsy Jazz
Django Reinhardt is the main pioneer of Gypsy Jazz. He remains one of the most influential players of Jazz guitar that has ever lived. There are festivals that are named in his honor and his impact on Jazz music has been tremendous. Because he lived so long ago, footage of Django’s playing is rare. I included a few clips of him playing live at the end of this playlist. It is amazing that this man only uses two fingers in his improvising. There is also a clip from one of the festivals named in his honor. At the end of that, there are four videos that will teach you how to play some common Gypsy Jazz Arpeggios. This playlist contains 19 Gypsy Jazz arrangements that are from various artists on YouTube. Enjoy and have fun!
