Final answer:
The correct statement is 'The blues and ragtime are predecessors of jazz,' since both genres influenced the development of jazz, particularly during the cultural surge of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
The true statement among the ones provided is that: The blues and ragtime are predecessors of jazz. This is based on the historical development of these musical genres.
Jazz, a uniquely American form of music, was born out of ragtime and blues, and it came to epitomize the culture of the 1920s, particularly during the Harlem Renaissance. Blues music, which evolved from African-American spirituals, and ragtime, which blended black spirituals with Euro-American folk music, both predate jazz chronologically and have influenced its formation.
Notable jazz artists like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway became famous performing in Harlem nightclubs, where jazz found its epicenter during this time.
Scott Joplin, known for his famous composition 'Maple Leaf Rag', is a key figure in ragtime, and it was this genre along with the blues that set the stage for the emergence of jazz. Therefore, the correct answer is that the blues and ragtime are predecessors of jazz, as they both contributed to its evolution and distinctive sound.
Hence, Option a is correct.