Jazz fusion (or "jazz-rock fusion" or "fusion") is a musical genre that merges elements of jazz with other styles of music, particularly pop, rock, folk, reggae, funk, metal, country, R&B, hip hop, electronic music and world music. Fusion albums — even those that are made by the same artist — often include a variety of these musical styles.

In the late 1960s, jazz musicians began mixing the forms and improvisational techniques of jazz with the electric instruments of rock and the rhythms of soul and rhythm and blues. At the same time, some rock artists began adding jazz elements to their music. The 1970s were the most visible decade for fusion, but the style has been well represented during more recent times. Rather than being a codified musical style, fusion can be viewed as a musical tradition or approach. Some progressive rock music is also labeled as fusion.^[1]

Fusion music is typically instrumental, often with complex time signatures, metres, rhythmic patterns, and extended track lengths, featuring lengthy improvisations. Many prominent fusion musicians are recognized as having a high level of virtuosity, combined with complex compositions and musical improvisation in metres rarely seen in other Western musical forms, perhaps best recognized in the work of jazz composers Dave Brubeck and Don Ellis.


Fusion music generally receives little radio broadcast airplay in the United States, owing perhaps to its complexity, usual lack of vocals, and frequently extended track lengths. European radio is friendlier to fusion music, and the genre also has a significant following in Japan and South America. A number of Internet radio stations feature fusion music, including dedicated channels on services such as AOL Radio and Yahoo! Launchcast.

The roots of fusion

In the middle 1960s Julian "Cannonball" Adderley began performing music that fused jazz and pop. In the late 1960s Miles Davis, whose jazz fusion efforts, such as Bitches Brew reveal possible influences from avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, and the The Tony Williams Lifetime used instruments such as electric guitar, bass guitar, and electric piano to create music that fused jazz with rock and other genres. Later, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Jan Hammer and Chick Corea began incorporating synthesizers such as the minimoog.

Jazz artists followed developments in pop music and also began using the modern recording studio's improved editing, multitrack recording, and electronic effects capabilities as an adjunct to composition and improvisation. Trumpeter Miles Davis' In a Silent Way (1969) and Bitches Brew (1970), for instance, feature extended—more than 20 minutes each—compositions which were never actually played straight through by the musicians in the studio; instead, musical motifs of various lengths were selected from recorded extended improvisations, and edited together into a musical whole which only exists in the recorded version. These are considered cornerstone recordings of the genre.

Many rock musicians had begun to independently approach jazz forms during the mid-1960s. The Byrds recorded in December 1965 the first version of "Eight Miles High", a groundbreaking single emulating the style of John Coltrane's classic quartet. In 1966, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band recorded a long improvisational piece, "East-West".

Other rock musicians also performed and recorded rock songs featuring extended improvisations and jazz-style instrumental interplay as well as longer, multipart compositions. Examples include Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead in the US, and Soft Machine, Yes and Cream in the UK. Frank Zappa released his first jazz-rock album, Hot Rats, in 1969. He continued recording fusion music occasionally during his career (e.g. Waka/Jawaka, The Grand Wazoo and Sleep Dirt), becoming a significant representative of the genre.

A number of prominent jazz-rock bands also had considerable success beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including U.S. bands Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Steely Dan, Chase, Dreams, and UK bands such as Traffic, Colosseum and If.

Fusion during the 1970s

Much of 1970s fusion was performed by a core of musicians who had worked with Miles Davis on his influential albums In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew. In addition to Davis, important figures in early fusion were John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham (with his album Spectrum), Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea (with his band Return to Forever), and Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter with their band Weather Report.

Herbie Hancock first continued the path of Miles Davis with his experimental fusion albums (such as Crossings, 1972), but soon after that he became perhaps the most important developer of "jazz-funk" with his albums Head Hunters (1973) and Thrust (1974). Later in the 1970s and early 1980s Hancock took a yet more commercial approach, though he also recorded some acoustic jazz. Hancock was one of the first jazz musicians to use synthesizers (although at first, he left playing to his sidemen).

At its inception, Weather Report was an avant-garde experimental fusion group, following in the steps of In A Silent Way. The band received considerable attention for its early albums and live performances, which featured songs that might last 30 minutes or more. The band later introduced a more commercial sound, most noted in the hit song "Birdland". Weather Report's albums were also later influenced by different styles of Latin and African music, offering an early world music fusion variation. Jaco Pastorius, often regarded as one of music's most innovative electric bass players, joined the group in 1976 on the album Black Market, and is prominently featured on the 1979 live recording . Heavy Weather is the top-selling album of the genre.

In England, the jazz fusion movement was headed by Soft Machine, oft-acknowledged leaders of what became known as the Canterbury scene. Their best-selling recording, Third (1970), was a double album featuring one track per side in the style of the aforementioned recordings of Miles Davis. A prominent English band in the jazz-rock style of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago was If, who released a total of seven records in the 1970s.

Chick Corea formed his band Return to Forever in 1972. The band started with Latin-influenced music (including Brazilians Flora Purim as vocalist and Airto Moreira on percussion), but was transformed in 1973 to become a jazz-rock group that took influences from both psychedelic and progressive rock. The new drummer was Lenny White, who had also played with Miles Davis. Return to Forever's songs were distinctively melodic due to the Corea's composing style and the bass playing style of Stanley Clarke, who is often regarded with Pastorius as the most influential electric bassists of the 1970s. Guitarist Al Di Meola, who started his career with Return to Forever in 1974, soon became one of the most important fusion guitarists. In Di Meola's influential solo albums, he was one of the first guitarists to perform in a "shred" style, a technique later used in rock and heavy metal playing which uses alternate-picking, tapping, and sweep-picking to perform very rapid sequences of notes.

John McLaughlin formed a highly-regarded fusion band, the Mahavishnu Orchestra with drummer Billy Cobham, violinist Jerry Goodman, bassist Rick Laird and keyboardist Jan Hammer. The band released their first album, The Inner Mounting Flame in 1971. McLaughlin played Gibson EDS-1275 (also used by Jimmy Page), and frequently engaged in extended and fierce soloing duets with Cobham or violinist Jerry Goodman. Hammer pioneered the minimoog synthesizer with distortion effects making it sound more like an electric guitar. The sound of Mahavishnu Orchestra was influenced by both psychedelic rock and classical Indian sounds that inspired McLaughlin since he discovered it on the radio at the age of 13. The eastern influence was furthered by McLaughlin's spiritual guru, Sri Chinmoy, who also granted McLaughlin the title "Mahavishnu."

The band's first lineup split after two studio and one live albums, but McLaughlin formed another group under same name which included Jean-Luc Ponty, a jazz violinist, who also made a number of important fusion recordings under his own name as well as with Frank Zappa, drummer Narada Michael Walden, keyboardist Gayle Moran, and bassist Ralph Armstrong. This band also had a string trio to back Ponty and a vocalist whose rich voice complemented the strings. The first album by this lineup, Apocalypse, also included the London Symphony Orchestra. McLaughlin was also an original member of drummer Tony Williams' Lifetime fusion band with organist Larry Young, which existed in several versions between 1969 and 1976 and later included Cream bassist Jack Bruce and guitarist Allan Holdsworth.

McLaughlin also worked with Latin-rock guitarist Carlos Santana in the early 1970s. Santana's San Francisco-based band blended Latin salsa, rock, blues, and jazz, featuring Santana's clean guitar lines set against Latin instrumentation such as timbales and congas. Fusion influences can be heard in Santana's use of extended improvised solos and in the harmomic voicings of Tom Coster's keyboard playing on some of the groups' 1970s recordings. In 1973 Santana recorded a nearly two-hour live album of mostly instrumental music, Lotus, which was only released in Europe and Japan for more than twenty years. Santana also studied under guru Sri Chinmoy, and was granted the title "Devadip".

Other influential musicians that emerged from the fusion movement during the 1970s include fusion guitarist Larry Coryell with his band The Eleventh House, and electric guitarist Pat Metheny. The Pat Metheny Group, which was founded in 1977, made both the jazz and pop charts with their second album, American Garage (1980). Although jazz performers criticized the fusion movement's use of rock styles and electric and electronic instruments, even seasoned jazz veterans like Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and Dexter Gordon eventually modified their music to include fusion elements.

Pop-Fusion, Smooth Jazz & Musical Controversies

Jazz fusion has been criticized by jazz traditionalists who prefer conventional mainstream jazz (particularly when fusion was first emerging) and by smooth jazz fans who prefer more "accessible" music. This is analogous to the way swing jazz aficionados criticized be-bop in the mid-1940s, and the way proponents of Dixieland or New Orleans style "jass" reviled the new swing style in the late 1920s. Some critics have also called fusion's approach pretentious, and others have claimed that fusion musicians have become too concerned with musical virtuosity. However, fusion has helped to break down boundaries between different genres of rock, jazz, and led to developments such as the 1980s-era electronica-infused acid jazz.

In the early 1980s much of the original fusion genre was subsumed into other branches of jazz and rock, especially smooth jazz. The merging of jazz and pop/rock music took a more commercial direction in the late 1970s and early 1980s, in the form of compositions with a softer sound palette that could fit comfortably in a soft rock radio playlist. The Allmusic guide's article on Fusion states that "[u]nfortunately, as it became a money-maker and as rock declined artistically from the mid-'70s on, much of what was labeled fusion was actually a combination of jazz with easy-listening pop music and lightweight R&B."^[2] Artists like Lee Ritenour, Al Jarreau, Kenny G, Bob James and David Sanborn among others were leading purveyors of this pop-oriented fusion (also known as "west coast" or "AOR fusion"). This genre is most frequently called "smooth jazz" and is controversial among the listeners of both mainstream jazz and jazz fusion, who find it to rarely contain the improvisational qualities that originally surfaced in jazz decades earlier, deferring to a more commercially viable sound more widely enabled for commercial radio airplay in the United States.

Music critic Piero Scaruffi has called pop-fusion music "...mellow, bland, romantic music" made by "mediocre musicians" and "derivative bands." Scaruffi criticized some of the fusion albums of Michael and Randy Brecker as "trivial dance music" and stated that alto saxophonist David Sanborn recorded "[t]rivial collections" of "...catchy and danceable pseudo-jazz". ^[3] Kenny G in particular is often criticized by both fusion and jazz fans, and some musicians, while having become a huge commercial success. Music reviewer George Graham argues that the “so-called ‘smooth jazz’ sound of people like Kenny G ha[s] none of the fire and creativity that marked the best of the fusion scene during its heyday in the 1970s”.^[4]

Revival of Jazz Fusion

In the 1980s, "...the promise of fusion went unfulfilled to an extent, although it continued to exist in groups such as Tribal Tech and Chick Corea's Elektric Band".^[5] Although the meaning of "fusion" became confused with the advent of "smooth jazz", a number of groups helped to revive the jazz fusion genre beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s. Many of the most well-known fusion artists were members of earlier jazz fusion groups, and some of the fusion "giants" of the 1970s kept working in the genre.

Miles Davis continued his career after having a lengthy break in the late 1970s. He recorded and performed fusion throughout the 1980s with new young musicians and continued to ignore criticism from fans of his older mainstream jazz. While Davis' works of the 1980s remain controversial, his recordings from that period have the respect of many fusion and other listeners.

In 1985 Chick Corea formed a new fusion band called the Chick Corea Elektric Band, featuring young musicians such as drummer Dave Weckl and bassist John Patitucci, as well as guitarist Frank Gambale and saxophonist Eric Marienthal. Joe Zawinul's new fusion band in the 1980s was The Zawinul Syndicate, which began adding more elements of world music during the 1990s.

One of the notable bands that became prominent in the early 1990s is Tribal Tech, led by guitarist Scott Henderson and bassist Gary Willis. Henderson was a member of both Corea's and Zawinul's ensembles in the late 1980s while putting together his own group. Tribal Tech's most common lineup also includes keyboardist Scott Kinsey and drummer Kirk Covington - Willis and Kinsey have both recorded solo fusion projects. Henderson has also been featured on fusion projects by drummer Steve Smith of Vital Information which also include bassist Victor Wooten of the eclectic Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, recording under the banner Vital Tech Tones.

Allan Holdsworth is a guitarist who performs in both rock and fusion styles. Other prominent guitarists such as Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen have praised his fusion and rock playing. He often used a SynthAxe guitar synthesizer in his recordings of the late 1980s, which he credits for significantly expanded his composing and playing options. Holdsworth has continued to release well-regarded fusion recordings and tour worldwide on a regular basis. He has often worked with drummers Chad Wackerman, Vinnie Colaiuta, or Gary Husband, who have all released fusion records under their own names. Another former Soft Machine guitarist, Andy Summers of The Police, released several fusion albums in the early 1990s.

Guitarists John Scofield and Bill Frisell have both made fusion recordings over the past two decades while also exploring other musical styles. Scofield's Pick Hits Live and Still Warm are fusion examples, while Frisell has maintained a unique approach in drawing heavy influences from traditional music of the United States. Japanese fusion guitarist Kazumi Watanabe released numerous fusion albums throughout 1980s and 1990s, highlighted by his works such as Mobo Splash and Spice of Life.

The late saxophonist Bob Berg, who originally came to prominence as a member of Miles Davis' bands, recorded a number of fusion albums with fellow Miles band member and guitarist Mike Stern. Stern contines to play fusion regularly in New York City and worldwide. They often teamed with the world-renowned drummer Dennis Chambers, who has also recorded his own fusion albums. Chambers is also a member of CAB, led by bassist Bunny Brunel and featuring the guitar and keyboard of Tony MacAlpine. CAB 2 garnered a Grammy nomination in 2002. MacAlpine has also served as guitarist of the metal fusion group Planet X, featuring keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati. Another former member of Miles Davis' bands of the 1980s that has released a number of fusion recordings is saxophonist Bill Evans, highlighted by 1992's Petite Blonde.

Drummer Jack DeJohnette's Parallel Realities band featuring fellow Miles' alumni Dave Holland and Herbie Hancock, along with Pat Metheny, recorded and toured in 1990, highlighted by a DVD of a live performance at the Mellon Jazz Festival in Philadelphia. Jazz bassist Christian McBride released two fusion recordings drawing from the jazz-funk idiom in Sci-Fi (2000) and Vertical Vision (2003). Other significant recent fusion releases have come from keyboardist Mitchel Forman and his band Metro, former Mahavishnu bassist Jonas Hellborg with the late guitar virtuoso Shawn Lane, and keyboardist Tom Coster.

Influential jazz fusion artists and albums

This section is a small sample of jazz fusion artists and albums that are considered to be influential by prominent jazz fusion critics, reviewers, journalists, or music historians.

Late 1960s

• Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears (1969)
• Gary Burton - Duster (1967)
• Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority (1969)
• Colosseum - Valentyne Suite (1969)
• Miles Davis - In a Silent Way (1969)
• Tony Williams Lifetime- Emergency! (1969)
• Frank Zappa - Hot Rats (1969)

1970s

• Jeff Beck Blow by Blow (1975), Wired (1976)
• Chicago - Chicago (1970), Chicago VII (1974)
• Stanley Clarke - School Days (1976)
• Billy Cobham - Spectrum (1973)
• Billy Cobham & George Duke - Live On Tour in Europe (1976)
• Chick Corea - My Spanish Heart (1976)
• Larry Coryell - Spaces (1970), Larry Coryell At The Village Gate (1971), Introducing The Eleventh House (1974)
• Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (1970), A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1970), On The Corner (1972)
• Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy (1978), Splendido Hotel (1980)
• Herbie Hancock - Crossings (1972), Head Hunters (1973), Thrust (1974)
• Ryo Kawasaki - Juice (1976)
• Mahavishnu Orchestra - The Inner Mounting Flame (1971), Birds of Fire (1972), The Lost Trident Sessions (released in 1999)
• John McLaughlin - My Goals Beyond (1971), John McLaughlin - Electric guitarist (1978)
• Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life (1976), Pat Metheny Group (1978), American Garage (1979)
• Passport - Cross Collateral (1975)
• Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius (1976)
• Jean-Luc Ponty - Upon The Wings Of Music (1975), Aurora (1976), Enigmatic Ocean (1977)
• Return to Forever - Return to Forever (1972), Light as a Feather (1973), Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973), Where Have I Known You Before (1974), Romantic Warrior (1976)
• Santana - Lotus (1973)
• Soft Machine - Third (1970), Six (1973), Seven (1973), Bundles (featuring Allan Holdsworth, 1975)
• Steely Dan - Aja (1977)
• Weather Report - Weather Report (1971), I Sing the Body Electric (1972), Mysterious Traveller (1974), Black Market (1976), Heavy Weather (1977), (1979)
• Tony Williams Lifetime - Turn It Over (1970), Believe It (1975)
• Frank Zappa - Waka/Jawaka (1972), Grand Wazoo (1972), Sleep Dirt (1979)

1980s

• Bob Berg - Short Stories (1987), Cycles (1988)
• Chick Corea - Chick Corea Elektric Band (1986), Eye of the Beholder (1987)
• Miles Davis - Tutu (1986)
• Herbie Hancock - Mr. Hands (1980)
• Allan Holdsworth - Atavachron (1986), Sand (1987), Secrets (1989)
• John Scofield - Pick Hits Live (1987)
• Steps Ahead - Smokin' In The Pit (by Steps) (1980), Steps Ahead (1983)
• Uzeb - Noisy nights (1988)
• Kazumi Watanabe - Spice of Life (1986)

1990s

• Atheist - Unquestionable Presence (1991)
• Alain Caron - Rhythm 'n Jazz (1995)
• Dennis Chambers - Getting Even (1998)
• Cynic (band) - "Focus" (1993)
• Billy Childs - "I've Known Rivers" (1994)
• Tom Coster - The Forbidden Zone (1994)
• Jack DeJohnette - DeJohnette, Holland, Hancock, Metheny In Concert (1990 - DVD Only)
• Bill Evans - Petite Blonde (1992)
• Pat Metheny - The Road To You (1990)
• Metro - Metro (1994)
• Derek Sherinian - Planet X (1999)
• Steve Smith - Vital Tech Tones (1998)
• Mike Stern - Give And Take (1997)
• Tribal Tech - Tribal Tech (1991), Reality Check (1995)
• Chad Wackerman - Forty Reasons (1991)

2000s

• CAB - Cab 2 (2002), Cab 4 (2003)
• Alain Caron - 5 (2003)
• Christian McBride - Vertical Vision (2003)
• Planet X - MoonBabies (2002), Quantum (2007)
• Derek Sherinian - Inertia (2001), Black Utopia (2003), Mythology (2004), Blood of the Snake (2006)
• Tribal Tech - Rocket Science (2000)

See also

• List of jazz fusion artists

References

External links

• A History of Jazz-Rock Fusion
• Kozmigroov
• BendingCorners

Video

• Miles Davis at the Isle Of Wight, 1970, excerpt From Call It Anything
• Don Ellis, Tanglewood, MA, playing an electric trumpet, excerpt from Indian Lady