What is the history of the jazz flute?

by Migo
(Egypt)

What is the history of the jazz flute? How did the flute enter jazz bands for the first time? What the sequence of jazz flute until now?

Thanks

---

Hi, and thanks for writing!

The flute wasn't part of the traditional jazz band instrumentation of saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and rhythm instruments.

Why?

One reason is that when jazz was developing, the flute was a very "dainty" instrument without a powerful sound to cut through the noise of clubs where jazz was being played.

As technology developed and amplification allowed the flute's sound to be heard and recorded, flutists emerged on the jazz scene. This started happening in the early 1950s.

Even to this day, the flute is not part of traditional jazz scoring, but jazz is such an open-ended idiom that just about anything goes.

Most sax players also play flute. There are many, many solo jazz flute artists, including Hubert Laws, Herbie Mann, and Robert Dick.

Check my jazz flute page for method books and CDs.