There is a connection between many genres in American music, such as New Orleans jazz, swing and ragtime. Jazz is a musical form developed by African Americans. It is often characterized by the use of blues and lyrics. It is not known when jazz was born. Piano rags composed by Scott Joplin and others achieved wide popularity in the late nineteenth century. The styles of some pianists soon followed as a development of East Coast ragtime. The jazz style developed in the city of New Orleans. Ragtime music began in the late 19th century and this was one of the most popular musical styles during this time period. That diversity stemmed from African and European musical ideas brought together in the Southern States. Informal popular music was formalized in ragtime by composers such as Joplin, who played the music to large audiences and released it so that its popularity spread throughout the country. Ragtime is played on a solo piano and treated like an instrument. The solo piano was an instrument found in most saloons. The word ragtime is called syncopation...