Jazz Fusion & Contemporary Trends

Characteristics of Fusion

• Fusion– a music genre which combines two or more

genres.• Roots

– Gospel, The Blues.– Electric Instruments (Amplifiers)

• R&B (Rhythm & Blues)– Originally marketed as “race records” of the

1940’s– Develops into Rock ‘n Roll.

Comparing Jazz & Rock

Preset PerformanceSpontaneity

Repetitious drummingResponsive drumming

Simplicity emphasizedComplex melodic and harmonic content

Short phrasesPhrasing emphasized

RockJazz

Miles Davis (revisited once again)• Fender Rhodes

– Electric Piano used in the 1960’s (prior to synthesizers)

• Electric Guitar and Bass– Sound of vibrating string amplified

by magnetic pickups• Percussion

– World instruments, South America, Africa, India.

• “Star People” (1982)– Released after long hiatus from

1975.– Controversial funk album.– “Not true Jazz”

John McLaughlin (b. 1942 - )

• English Jazz-Rock Guitarist• The Mahavishnu Orchestra

– fused eclectic jazz and rock with eastern and Indian influences.

– Odd & mixed meters• “Birds of Fire”

– Second studio album, 1973– “Miles Beyond” tribute to

Miles Davis.

WEATHER

• Evolved from a 1960’s Miles Davis studio ensemble.

• Synthesizer covered horn parts.

• Bassist did not play walking bass lines.

• Drummer did not play traditional swing.

REPORT

Weather Report (musicians)• Joe Zawinul (1932 – 2007)

– Pianist/Composer/Bandleader• Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987)

– Bassist/Pioneer of Fretless Electric Bass

• Wayne Shorter (b. 1933 - )– Saxophonist

• “Heavy Weather” (1977)– Album featuring the song

“Birdland”– LISTENING EXCERPT: CD TWO, Track 10

Chick Corea (b. 1941 - )• Pianist/Bandleader• Return to Forever

– Fusion group that featured Latin rhythms

– Al Dimeola, guitarist– Stanley Clarke, bassist

• “Light as a Feather” (1972)– Features hit song “Spain”

LISTENING EXCERPT: CD TWO, TRACK 11

Herbie Hancock (b. 1940 - )

• Pianist/Composer• Child Prodigy – classically trained• “Maiden Voyage” (1965)

– Title song of the album that has become a jazz standard.

• “Future Shock” (1983) – “Rockit” funk tune feature synthesized

electronic sounds.– Grandmixer DXT (Derek Showard) featured

Acid Jazz• A style of fusion jazz that emerged in the

1980’s from recording studio techniques.• Sampling

– Using recorded excerpts from other musicians.• Looping

– Taking a portion of a sampled recording and repeating it over and over.

• Overdubbing– An instrumentalist or vocalist performs a solo

over a loop in the recording studio.

Contemporary Jazz Artists• Kenny G [Gorelick] (b. 1959 - )

– Soprano saxophonist “smooth” jazz style.

– Overdubbing (“Wonderful World”, with Louis Armstrong)

• David Sandborn (b. 1945 - )– Saxophonist/Composer (Lethal

Weapon 2-4)– soulful but aggressive style.

• Pat Metheny (b. 1954 - )– Guitarist, experiments with

manipulating the guitar sound.– Roland Guitar Synthesizer.

Contemporary Latin Jazz Artists• Tito Puente (1923 – 2000)

– Percussionist (keyboard perc. & timbales).

– Led mambo bands in the 1980’s• Paquito D’Rivera ( b. 1948 - )

– Clarinet/Saxophone prodigy• Arturo Sandoval (b. 1949 - )

– Trumpet Performer and Club Owner (MB)

– Film “For Love or Country” (Andy Garcia)

– Performed on soundtrack “Mambo Kings”

Carla Bley (b. 1936 - )• Pianist/Composer.• Eclectic compositional style.• Reworks familiar themes.

– LISTENING EXCERPT: CD TWO, TRACK 13

Maria Schneider (b. 1960 - )

• Modern Big Band Composer• Unusual form

– Does not use traditional blues progression or 32-bar AABA form.

• Experiments with a variety of tone colors– Unusual combinations of instruments.

• Music is often “autobiographical.”– Based on her experiences.

Wynton Marsalis (b. 1961 - )• Trumpet Performer/Educator/Composer

– New Orleans, Louisiana• Comes from a Musical Family

– Ellis Marsalis, father (pianist)– Branford Marsalis, brother (saxophonist)

• Considered a “purist”– Saved jazz from “morass of pop fusion and

noise” or “instilled a regressive notion of the jazz tradition.”

– Criticized Miles Davis’ fusion recordings (of the 1980’s) as not being “true jazz"