Critique of the Contemporary Jazz Scene - Research Paper Example

Contemporary Jazz is the term used to define the style of Jazz that emerged in the late 1970s to the 90s. This form of jazz is comprised of different jazz styles such as fusion, pop jazz, smooth jazz, contemporary funk and crossover jazz (Ake 3). The 1980s saw the dramatic decline of the jazz community. However, popularity of jazz was still very high and different jazz artists have been successful doing various forms of contemporary jazz. The development of contemporary jazz meant that the popularity of Jazz as a music genre was growing not only within the United States, but also in other parts of the world as well. This form of jazz artistry blends elements of jazz sounds with other smooth sounds of other types of popular music genres to give it the relaxing mood that is common with all jazz music (Kinnon 62). Unlike other forms of Jazz music, the drums and bass guitar used in contemporary jazz are normally downplayed a lower level of driving beat, which is a common feature of earlier styles of jazz. This creates an atmosphere that does not require too much listening concentration, while keeping it as pleasurable as possible. The level of complexity in harmonic interplay usually between the lead and rhythm is greatly reduced in contemporary jazz as compared to earlier forms of jazz (Baker 17). This has greatly lessened listening concentration and in the process, it has opened up to many listeners who used to stay away from jazz due to the amount of listening and analysis that it required. Popular Styles and Artists Jazz Fusion A new form of Jazz was developed in the early 1970s, which incorporated elements of jazz improvisation and rock rhythms. This new version was given the name Jazz fusion. It developed greatly through the improvisatory and experimental years of the 1980s and 90s. This form of jazz music normally uses syncopation, mixed meters, harmonies, complex chords and odd-time signatures (Ake 10). Some of the instruments used in fusion jazz include fuzz pedals, electric guitar, electric piano, electric bass and synthesizer keyboards (Cook and Horn 19). Some of the most popular fusion artists include Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, Gary Burton, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Larry Coryell, Jean-Luc Ponty, Wayne Shorter, Stanely Clarke, Jaco Passtorius and frank Zappa. There were also groups such as The Headhunters, Weather report, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever who used to perform Jazz fusion (Baker 22). Jazz Fusion has been criticized for its over emphasis of rock and funk music. There seems to be minimal traces of jazz in this form of jazz music. There is a certain degree of lack of the jazz feeling in the fusion style of jazz; this makes it hard for one to appreciate it as a part of the jazz community. Fusion jazz music is also not as easily accessible as other forms of jazz such as Smooth jazz. Most radio stations do not play fusion (Kinnon 64). Jazz Fusion music has some positive aspects such as the fact that it has helped water down the differences between different forms of rock and jazz. This has led to people from across the musical divide to appreciate those music genres that they never thought they could listen to. Smooth Jazz This form of contemporary jazz became popular in the early 1980s in the US. It was a very popular music genre and it received massive airplay during this time. The typical instruments used in smooth jazz include guitar, bass guitar, saxophone, trumpet, synthesizers, drums, piano and flute. The musicians associated with this form of jazz include Grover Washington, Kirk Whalum, David Sanborn, Kenny G, Boney James David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Sting and Pat Metheny. The goal of smooth jazz was to create some pleasant and mellow tunes which were never in earlier forms of jazz (Ake 34). Critics of smooth jazz argue that this form of jazz is not as fiery and creative as jazz was known to be in the 1970s. I tend to agree with the notion that Smooth Jazz seems to lack in creativity. The music Smooth Jazz is slowly loosing all the popularity it enjoyed a couple of decades ago. Mainstream radio stations are opting to not play smooth jazz (Kinnon 67). However, it seems that this form of jazz music is here to stay for a while since its concerts continue to be very popular and record sales are still high. Acid Jazz Acid Jazz was another form of contemporary jazz that developed in the United Kingdom in the 1980s and 90s. Major influences for this form of jazz came from electronic dance music and jazz funk. Musicians such as Donald Byrd and Roy Ayers are credited with the early development of acid jazz (Baker 30). Other forms of contemporary jazz include cross over jazz, contemporary funk, pop jazz, Nu Jazz and Jazz rap. Nu Jazz Pop jazz is a form of jazz that puts great emphasis on memorable melodies (Hodeir 35). It is closely related with acid jazz. They are both experimental and they vary widely in terms of concepts and sounds. Nu Jazz incorporates funk, soul, ethereal jazz and electronic sounds. Notable Nu Jazz artists are Tim Berne, Spring heel jack, Pest, the Cinematic Orchestra and Jaga Jazzist (Cook and Horn 45). Acid jazz and Nu jazz are very popular forms of contemporary jazz. They have melodious and more enjoyable beats that resonate well with the younger generation. Crossover jazz and contemporary funk had blends of R&B and funk. Crossover jazz was developed so as to get wider audiences for jazz. An influential figure in crossover and contemporary funk was the saxophonist Grover Washington. Others were the Rippingons, Spyro gyra and Al Jarreau (Baker 37). Crossover and contemporary funk jazz has been able to maintain improvisation, thereby maintaining a following among the original jazz markets. However, like all forms of contemporary jazz, a lot of what had been there in the original jazz has been watered down in this other forms of jazz (Kinnon 69). Conclusion Jazz music has greatly evolved from the complex improvisation and equally challenging experimentation to be a stylishly sophisticated form of music that has spread its wings in many parts of the world. Contemporary jazz opened up the doors to listeners who would never have listed to the complex and hard to understand jazz. This new form of jazz was easy and more enjoyable than its earlier forms. Different forms of Rock, R&B and pop music are normally incorporated into cotemporary music to make it pleasurable. Some of the common forms of contemporary jazz to have resonated well with music lovers across the world include Jazz Fusion, Smooth Jazz, Acid jazz, pop jazz and many others. All these forms of contemporary jazz have created a new melody, better production and enhanced accessibility of jazz music. However, this music has been criticized for its lack of flair. Earlier forms of jazz were known to be quite fiery, something that is missing in the modern day contemporary jazz. This lack of fire can be attributed to the fact that many different forms of foreign music elements have found their way into the jazz genre. Another point of criticism is the lack of improvisation. Improvisation had been a major part of jazz music since it was developed. However, contemporary jazz forms lack this improvisation which was used to define jazz music in the past. In spite of all this negative criticism, it is worth noting that contemporary jazz has been instrumental in enhancing jazz popularity all over the world. The genre has also helped build bridges between different music genres. For instance, an individual who loves rock may not have a problem switching to contemporary jazz which has some elements of rock that he can relate with. Many big names in the music industry are associated with various forms of contemporary jazz. Since the 1980s contemporary jazz has been a very popular music genre. However, the genre seems to be slowly loosing its fan base although record sales continue to be very high. One of the main reasons why the genre could be declining in popularity is because of its never-ending evolution. This means that new forms of contemporary jazz continue to be developed almost daily and keeping up with these changes could be too much for some people. The fact that most forms of contemporary jazz normally adopt other forms of music could be contributing to the music’s popularity levels. Works Cited Ake, David. Jazz Matters: Sound, Place and time Since Bebop, Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press, 2010. Print Baker, David. Modern Concepts in Jazz Improvisation. Los Angeles, CA: Alfred Music Publishing, 1990. Print Cook, Mervyn and David Horn. The Cambridge Companion to Jazz. London, Cambridge University Press. Print Hodeir, Andre. Jazz, Its Evolution and Essence, New York: Grove Press, 1980. Print Kinnon, Joy B. The New Jazz Singers. EBONY, 1996, Vol. 52, No. 2 pp 62-70. Read More