According to the Ken Burns documentary Jazz, they would sing, play music and dance, swaying back and forth to the songs of their home countries.

BBC: The birthplace of jazz

With strong roots in the tradition of improvisation, jazz continues to evolve, collecting accents from Afropop, Latin dance music, eastern classical music, and pretty much every other music it comes into contact with, all while transforming other genres around the world.

BBC: The birthplace of jazz