Jazz developed from a blend of African-American musical traditions, including blues, ragtime and European harmony, as well as African rhythmic rituals, hymns and vaudeville song and dance music.

It's time to jazz up—literally. From the smoky clubs of Montreal to the bustling streets of Tokyo, jazz has crossed borders, blended cultures and turned improvisation into an art form. Every April 30, International Jazz Day—established by UNESCO in 2011—celebrates this genre's role in promoting peace, dialogue and unity. This music form emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in New Orleans, United States, a city alive with musical traditions from Africa, Europe and the Caribbean. Rooted in blues and ragtime, jazz quickly evolved, with pioneers like Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald giving it a voice. Canada embraced jazz early on, with Montreal becoming a jazz hotspot by the 1920s. The Montreal International Jazz Festival, founded in 1980, holds a Guinness World Record as the world's largest jazz festival, drawing global artists and fans.

Today, jazz is everywhere—from Brazilian bossa nova to Ethiopian Ethio-jazz, proving that a good groove knows no borders. This photo of jazz legend John Coltrane and his band performing in London, England, is a perfect example of jazz's worldwide impact.