In 1917, a group of musicians called the Original Dixieland Jazz Band recorded an unexpected smash hit. It marked the beginning of the jazz age.

1917-1924: As the roaring 1920s continued, so did people's desire for jazz. It was a period which saw Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Paul Whiteman rise to stardom.

1924-1929: Jazz soloists and singers took centre stage in this period. Find out how Bessie Smith's songs helped black entrepreneurs create a new recording industry.

1929-1934: During the great depression, jazz was called upon to lift the spirits of a battered America. It was a period which bounced back with the Lindy Hop and the start of swing.

1935-1937: From jitterbugging teenagers to the most talented female jazz singers, this period saw jazz transform into swing.

1937-1939: In this period, Count Basie's Band reignited the spirit of swing in New York and, at the end of the decade, Ella Fitzgerald, a teenage sensation, would find fame.