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Jazz music has its roots in the southern United States, specially the New Orleans area. Jazz musicians often began playing trombone, trumpet, saxophone, drums, guitar and bass by improvisation there. The mellow, soulful, and rhythmic sounds got people tapping their feet and returning.

Many more modern singers were strongly influenced by the jazz and blues cultures in the south, that slowly moved upward to Harlem, New York, and eventually to other cities and Europe.

People, who came to define rock and roll, like Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Eric Clapton and to some extent, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix all claim homage to jazz music.Get more information here. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/column/148264-a-dear-john-letter-to-jazzto-hell-with-loving-you/

Southern rock bands, in particular, such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers Band, and ZZ Top clearly have jazz and blues like influences in their music. The guitar rifts seem improvised, yet contrived.

As rock and roll evolved, more horn and reed sections emerged, which were not seen or heard in the earlier days. Trumpets and saxophones added more color, spice and variety to rock and roll. It took a little time for such as Chicago and Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band to add a significant brass and reed section to their music. Of course, the Beatles had introduced orchestras and sitar music to their repertoires, but clearly not a jazz influence.

The addition of brass and reeds to rock and roll added more depth and another dimension to rock and roll. It also, added, probably unbeknowst to many rock fans, a jazz influence.

Performers such as Ray Charles and Muddy Waters were often sited as influences to the early rock and rollers and, for good reason. They introduced styles and music that would be remembered and played for years to come. Just as it influenced the early rockers, it still influences the great artists today.