You've got plenty of recommendations in the comments. There is actual jazz theory to break down some of the key aspects of jazz style, but with the caveat that everyone who really understands jazz breaks the "rules" of jazz. Like others said, it's experimental.

One of the big things you'll notice is they emphasize every other beat starting on beat 2. Rock music tends to do this as well, but they start the emphasis on beat one.

In 4/4 time...Rock = emphasis on 1 and 3. Jazz = emphasis on 2 and 4 (the off-beats). This gives jazz a different feeling, like it's played less "straight." Guess that means jazz is gay.

There's also a bunch of theory in terms of the chord progressions in jazz vs "straight" or classical music, but FUCK writing that shit up here. Everything I've said can change based on the style too. Funk music again emphasizes beats 1 and 3, but is kind of in-between rock and jazz stylistically.

[–] peppersky@hexbear.net 3 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

One of the big things you'll notice is they emphasize every other beat starting on beat 2. Rock music tends to do this as well, but they start the emphasis on beat one.

In 4/4 time...Rock = emphasis on 1 and 3. Jazz = emphasis on 2 and 4 (the off-beats). This gives jazz a different feeling, like it's played less "straight."

Sorry but that's just not true. Rock certainly also has the emphasis on 2 and 4, because both it and jazz has its roots in the same early African American music. Emphasis on 1 and 3 is nowadays really only found in some European folk music