Jazz Music

The Relationship of Jazz Music and Jack Kerouac There is a distinct relationship between jazz music and the Beat Generation, particularly Jack Kerouac. The writings of the beat generation were often influenced by the different styles of jazz. One certain style of jazz known as bop and bebop were the most influential of all forms on the beat generation. They were an improvised form of jazz that has been traced back to originating in Harlem …

…spontaneous prose” formats. Kerouac was so influenced and interested in jazz that he eventually put out a record of jazz type music with him singing. He also did poetry readings with jazz accompaniment. All of this led to many other joint efforts between jazz musicians and beat generation poets and writers. The relationship to jazz was an important one, and is very obviously highlighted throughout Kerouac’s works, as with the other beat generation writers.