Jazz 1. A style of music, native to America, characterized by a strong but flexible rhythmic understructure with solo and ensemble improvisations on basic tunes and chord patterns and more recently, a highly sophisticated harmonic idiom. 2. Big band dance music.
Bossa Nova A latin style of instrumental music, originating in 1950's Brazil, derived from Samba, and characterized by a gentle mood, moderate to slow Samba rhythm and bass line, blended with subdued percussion and somewhat complex harmonic flavors heavily influenced by mid-20th century Jazz .
