Typical of the Baroque music is the continuity of rhythm, melody and mood; mood is also a very prominent theme in Jazz music. In Baroque, basso continuo was used extensively to repeat harmonic phrases throughout the entire piece and served to accompany the different melodies of the other instruments. In Jazz, however, the melody was introduced at the beginning (the head) and repeated throughout the entire piece. An example of repeated melodies in Jazz is riff, which provides foundation to the piece. This is apparent in Chameleon by Herbie Hancock.
In Baroque, a similar form was the ritornello, a recurring passage for the orchestra or chorus; often the opening theme or first movement of a solo concerto, played tutti, which is later on repeated in the composition in between sections, with key modulations and either in whole or only part.
Another difference between the structure of Jazz and Baroque music is the size of the respectable ensembles that play each style of music. In Baroque, the orchestra is significantly larger than a Jazz ensemble. Despite the difference in the number of musicians, the arrangement of instruments within both periods has many commonalities. Both styles employ the use of two distinct musical groups, one which features and another which acts as harmonic and rhythmic accompaniment. In the case of the Baroque period, the two sections were the concertino, the small group of virtuosic soloists and the ripieno (the tutti orchestra). In Jazz, the soloist group was called the Front Line. This usually included the clarinet, trumpet and trombone. Jazz's ripieno equivalent was the aptly named Rhythm Section. This group included the drum kit, banjo, upright bass and piano. Both Baroque and Jazz styles frequently relied on a strict form for their compositions.
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