Jazz Notes X

Back to the Jazz Notes.
As you can figure out from the title, this is the 10th post about the jazz history and styles. I really don't know whether it will be the last or not because the style I will be covering today is the last structured form of jazz music (yep, I know I'd promised a post on "Free Improvisation", it will come but I don't like to classify that as a separate jazz style).

However, Fusion or Jazz-Rock is definitely a jazz style on its own that has maybe re-popularized jazz for the first time after the Swing era.

By the 1970s, jazz had really been degraded by the American society (obviously with the exception of hardcore enthusiasts). Since the 50s, Rock'n Roll had taken the lead as the number one popular music in America, probably all over the world. Furthermore with the British invasion between 1964 and 1966, there was not a single soul on the planet that would argue the eminence of Rock'n Roll, not only versus jazz but versus all types of existing musical genres. When we think about the situation of the world (as I constantly try to point out that no art form comes out of the blue), I guess it wouldn't be too fair to approach this new rebellious sound with scorn. And no one did...

A movement, starting with Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley, Bo Diddley and Jerry Lee Lewis followed by rockabilly King Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins, that most of the young generations identified themselves with, was destined to reach the top of the world. And it did...The world had embraced the Rock'n Roll phenomenon. Between 1964 and 1966, two British bands, most probably the greatest two bands ever, Beatles and Rolling Stones who had been nourishing (maybe even more than the American musicians) from all these artists, made the glittering entrance to the American music stage. After that, nothing was going be the the same...

Fusion (or Jazz-Rock):

Imagine a bizarre musical scene where there are hardly new jazz recordings coming out, people not going to jazz clubs/concerts any more and only a handful of jazz musicians such as Miles Davis or Stan Getz selling albums. Was the great jazz music coming to an end?

"Is Jazz Dead?" a book by Stuart Nicholson

No way; as always has been the case, jazz musicians found a new way by taking up electric instruments, not swinging eight notes and playing over the beats of funk and rock'n roll, created a new form of jazz. They called this new style "Fusion" or "Jazz-Rock". Fusing of jazz with rock was not so new in fact. Guitarist Larry Coryell with his band Free Spirits was already playing in such a form as early as in 1966. However the new style waited to be associated with Blood, Sweat and Tears in 1967, with Chicago in 1968 and Ten Wheel Drive in 1970 (notice that all these bands are singer-based bands).
During the same period, Miles Davis had recorded  his 1968 album, Filles de Kilimanjaro, that gave the signals that his music was wandering far away from his own jazz style. His next two albums, both recorded in 1969 (In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew), clearly indicated his transition to Jazz-Rock. "In A Silent Way" was the beginning of a fine collaboration between Miles Davis and Joe Zawinul and also with Herbie Hancock, and those synergies were going to change the future of jazz.

If we look at Fusion as a jazz style, we can immediately hear one key difference compared with all the previous jazz forms, and that was the use of electric instruments (even electronic).  It was a form which allowed the musicians to combine the sophistication of jazz with the raw energetic power of rock. Percussions gained much more importance. Use of effects was quite popular. The compositions were all new material that had been composed thinking of the sonic possibilities of the bands.

Some of the jazz musicians perceived this as an opportunity to re-make jazz popular again, but for jazz purists the new style was seen as a betrayal. It is also a fact that fusion or jazz-rock was coming out straight after free jazz which had already caused a major flight from the musical genre. Apparently it was the jazz-rockers who had won this time and the new jazz form attracted a lot of attention not seen since the Swing era. The American society that was in a difficult situation due to on-going Vietnam war, corrupt politicians and racial inequality (notice how racism is vital in all jazz forms) had accepted this new style.
Jazz historians agree that there were a couple of musical explanations for this acceptance. Firstly, the instrumentation was very similar what people had been listening to since the beginning of rock music, everyone liked the electric instruments. There was so much power in the sound. Secondly, the music was relatively simpler in structure with less chord progressions and other harmonic complexities making it easy to listen to, follow and understand even though it was jazz. As we mentioned above, the use of numerous percussive instruments was appealing for the listeners. Maybe one last argument is that the use of too many repetitions of patterns or ostinatos made this music more melodic and enjoyable.

Now let's see the greatest figures of this style...

• Miles Davis: In addition to his amazing contributions to many jazz styles, Miles Davis was also a leading figure in Fusion. Between 1964 and 1968, he made exemplary albums with his quintet that included Herbie Hancock on electric piano, Wayne Shorter on saxophone, Tony Williams on drums, and Ron Carter on electric bass. Maybe not entirely fusion albums but definitely in that direction. His main fusion albums, "In A Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew" came after his collaboration with pianist-composer Joe Zawinul.

Pharaoh's Dance by Miles Davis

• John McLaughlin: He is a British guitarist who played in key fusion albums especially with Miles Davis. He is well known with his incredible proficiency in guitar playing and authentic tone. After Miles Davis he led the Mahavishnu Orchestra, one of the major fusion bands.

"Meeting of the Spirits/You Know You Know" by Mahavishnu Orchestra

• Joe Zawinul: He is an Austrian pianist-composer that came to the USA at the age of 27. After working with Cannonball Adderly, he made highly acclaimed albums with Miles Davis and in 1971 he founded the greatest jazz-rock band, Weather Report. His band mates were Wayne Shorter on saxophones and Miroslav Vitous (later to be replaced with Jaco Pastorious). Weather Report definitely needs a dedicated post in this blog (maybe in the near future).

"Birdland" by Weather Report

• Herbie Hancock: He was also a part of the Miles Davis' band till the early 70s. After that he led different bands and made numerous fusion albums. The most significant ones being with his group, Headhunters. He recorded very fine jazz funk albums. He made the synthesizer a popular instrument in fusion along with Joe Zawinul.

"Watermelon Man" by Herbie Hancock

• Chick Corea: He is one of the key figures of the fusion movement both with Miles Davis band and later his own group Return to Forever. 

"Return to Forever" by Chick Corea & Return to Forever

Fusion's popularity continued till the 80s and again with the changing world, it slowly retired from the jazz scene, leaving its place to a new style called "smooth jazz" or "pop jazz" (creating another discussion whether they can be called jazz or not)...