Is Jazz Fusion Dead?

Dizzy Gillespie
Cal Tjader
Stan Getz
Freddie Hubbard
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Chicago Transit Authority
Tower of Power
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Chick Corea/Return to Forever
Herbie Hancock/Headhunters
Steely Dan (Select Albums)
Ramsey Lewis
Weather Report
Steps Ahead
Etc. etc. etc.

Doesn’t get old for me!
 
I think of 'jazz-fusion' as two types of things:

1) The period itself, more or the disciples of Miles from the late sixties with jazz roots who explore a variety of influences in the mist of amplified rock surge. Many of these musicians are no longer with us, so from the literal perspective of 'dying', that is kinda true....but the music reverberates on.

2) Pretty much everything since then has been a 'fusion' of some sort as the isolated islands, particularly in the age of mass communication, is no longer there. This 'article' seemed to skip over a thriving jamband scene that peeked in the 90s-00s and basically anything interesting-underground new in the jazz scene is likely going to have a mass of influences that would technically put it under the roof of 'fusion' or just modern jazz unless intentionally sticking to traditional roots of a specific era. But the article just goes from Mahavishnu to Snarky Puppy as if there isn't anything else, lol

Bluegrass-jazz virtuoso meets western classic master meets Indian-classical. I saw their show in May, sold out and was outstanding. I also plan to see Zakir again with Shakti 50th next month and I'm sure that will be sold out as well. It's hard not to over-state how good Zakir is, he is probably 1 in a century type of musician and without digging to Indian Classical a bit more, it's hard to convey...but you can follow Steve Smith's praise which is pretty darn high.

edit: typos


For the title thread...Billy Cobham and Jimmy Herring, would had been great if they played more.

I would argue that anything Hiromi is doing is 'fusion', just on an acoustic piano...traditional fusion influence is no doubt there.

 
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Most of my listening is art rock, prog and fusion ... and I like it best when all three are mixed together. Alas, most classy music is forced into the fringes today. Machine pop is not only king, but it is a jealous dictator that accepts no one but itself.

There's some music today that is not so much a blend of jazz and rock but of fusion and rock, or even metal, eg. Liquid Tension Experiment. Jazz rock rock? There is an intersection between metal and very flashy fusion, with a focus on chops. That's serves an audience, though I'm not one.

Fusion is increasingly following jazz as being more of an influence of popular genres than an active genre in its own right.

Tribal tech, I think, will never surrender. I love their cussedness in swimming against the stream. And there's edgy stuff like Sons of Kemet, though it's not my thang.

Hiromi, as above, is still going strong. PPS might hate it, but many don't :)

Louis Cole is playing what I'd call pop fusion. It sounds like a bunch of nice conservatorium kids getting together.

Cory Wong is playing some sweet fusion with some outstanding virtuosos in his group. He leans towards the smooth jazz side with a generous touch of pop because he and his band enjoy eating and paying rent.

 
DrumEatDrum said:
While I've enjoyed attending fusion concerts, I find it rather boring to listen to prerecorded fusion.

I've tried. I've owned many fusion albums. I've seen many more live.

Mystical Adventures by Jean-Luc Ponty is pretty much the only fusion album that I go back and listen to now and then.

That and Journey's 1st album. Which was fusion inspired, but one could debate if it counts as actual fusion.
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Journey's first album had one fusion track, Topaz. Aynsley Dunbar was so good in that track, it was ridiculous. One of those guys who could make complex patterns sound super tasty.

Manfred Mann's Earth Band was influenced by fusion, especially Mahavishnu, on albums like Nightingales & Bombers and Solar Fire.

Ponty is probably my favourite musician. Albums like Aurora, Imaginary Voyage, Enigmatic Ocean, Cosmic Messenger and Upon the Wings of Music are musical heaven for me.

Here's some recommended fusion albums for non fusion fans like you ... I won't mention Steely Dan's Aja because you are not a fan ... oops, I just did ;)

Andy Summers - Charming Snakes ... eclectic, accessible, powerful, melodic and dynamic
Bruford - One of a Kind ... would appeal to many proggers
Cory Wong and Dirty Loops ... highly accessible and always badass
Dixie Dregs - Dregs of the Earth ... powerful, highly eclectic, insane playing
Jeff Beck - Wired
Pat Metheny - Imaginary Day ... his most proggish album, and a desert island disc for me.
 
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I mean, first, it's not a genre, it's a marketing label covering a lot of things.

I guess when there's no audience, no records being made and sold, no one listening to old records, no acts being booked, no music based on it being made, plus whatever other measures of commercial and cultural nonexistence, it will be dead. Right now all those things are still happening.

But a lot of stuff being played now is very much related to it, "it" is very much a part of current music.
 
For a while Jazz has been piggy backing on other more popular genres. Playing in other genres venues, using equipment made for other genres. EG they aren't producing Jazz venues and Jazz equipment to fill those venues anymore. So, since Rock isn't being produced, Jazz Rock doesn't make any sense, as a way to piggy back. Hip hop is jazzier anyway.
 
Complex time signatures supporting unusual counterpoint harmonic structure . There will always be a niche market for this . How wide the audience is unpredictable . Lisening trends come and go , some stay a bit longer than others . Kinda tricky to invent the most successful marketing concept for it because it's self explanatory . Cecil Taylor Ornette Coleman Don Cherry are an acquired taste .
 
Matched Gripper said:
Dizzy Gillespie
Cal Tjader
Stan Getz
Freddie Hubbard
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Chicago Transit Authority
Tower of Power
Mahavishnu Orchestra
Chick Corea/Return to Forever
Herbie Hancock/Headhunters
Steely Dan (Select Albums)
Ramsey Lewis
Weather Report
Steps Ahead
Etc. etc. etc.

Doesn’t get old for me!
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Weren't Funkadelic and Earth Wind And Fire jazz-rock outfits for when they started? (Before mercifully coming to their senses)
 
Souljacker said:
I think Snarky Puppy have been the most successful in bringing it back to having some semblance of mass appeal.

They have many millions in YouTube hits and I saw them pack out a 1,500 capacity venue 8 years ago. They are playing a 2,000 capacity near me soon.
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hmm...I never thought of Snarlky puppy as fusion....they are more funk-jazz to me....I don't know all of their catalog well, but from what I have heard makes me think closer to Galactic than Weather Report....
 
AudioWonderland said:
Bands like Polyphia, Plini, etc are modern day fusion to my ear
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yeah, I think the same thing...metal has fused into the style as well with Periphery, Aviations, Animals As Leaders etc...
 
Rock Salad said:
Man there is super happening jazz rock for sure. Poogie Bell, (comma) Scary Pockets
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I’d put Scary Pockets ( my favorite band, btw) squarely in the funk category. But their alter ego, Scary Goldings, plays more jazz oriented stuff.
 
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