Contemporary Jazz Musicians to Listen to Right Now
Contents
It’s no secret that jazz is one of the most popular genres of music. But what about contemporary jazz? Here are four contemporary jazz musicians to listen to right now.
Jazz Music in the Present
Jazz is a genre of music that is ever-evolving. Just when you think you’ve heard it all, a new artist comes along and breathes new life into the genre. If you’re looking for some contemporary jazz musicians to check out, here are a few names you should know.
The Different Types of Contemporary Jazz
When most people think of jazz, they think of icons like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. But jazz is very much a living, breathing genre that has evolved over the years. If you’re looking to explore contemporary jazz, here are a few different subgenres and artists to get you started.
1. Nu Jazz
Nu Jazz is a subgenre that incorporates elements of electronic music and hip hop into traditional jazz. One of the most popular nu jazz artists is Kamasi Washington, whose 2016 album The Epic drew widespread acclaim. Other notable nu jazz artists include BadBadNotGood, Thundercat, and Robert Glasper.
2. Afro-Cuban Jazz
Afro-Cuban jazz is a subgenre that draws heavily on Cuban rhythms and percussion. It was popularized in the 1940s by artists such as Dizzy Gillespie and Machito. Today, some of the most popular Afro-Cuban jazz musicians include Arturo O’Farrill, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Joey DeFrancesco.
3. Straight-Ahead Jazz
Straight-ahead jazz is a more traditional style of jazz that adheres to the genre’s original principles
The Various Styles of Contemporary Jazz
Jazz music has seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with a new generation of musicians taking up the mantle and carrying the genre forward into the 21st century. While traditional jazz holds a special place in the hearts of many fans, contemporary jazz is very much its own beast, incorporating elements of hip hop, R&B, and even rock into the mix.
If you’re looking to explore what contemporary jazz has to offer, here are some styles and artists you should check out:
-Smooth Jazz: As the name suggests, smooth jazz is a more relaxed andeasy-listening style of jazz. Saxophonist Kenny G is perhaps the best-known smooth jazz artist, but there are plenty of other greats worth checking out, including Dave Koz, George Benson, and Boney James.
-Fusion: As with smooth jazz, fusion takes elements of other genres and blends them with traditional jazz instrumentation and improvisation. Where smooth jazz is more focused on creating a mellow atmosphere, fusion can be more energetic and experimental. Return to Forever, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Weather Report are some of the most influential fusion bands of all time.
-Acid Jazz: A subgenre of fusion, acid jazz takes cues from hip hop and funk as well as classic Jazz. The Brand New Heavies and Jamiroquai are two of the most famous acid jazz bands, but there are plenty of others worth exploring if you’re a fan of this style.
-Jazz Rap: As you might guess from the name, Jazz rap is a blend of rap musicand jazz. The roots of this style can be traced back to groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul in the early 1990s, but it has since evolved into its own distinct genre. If you’re a fan of rap music looking to check out something new, give Jazz rap a try!
The Musicians
If you’re a fan of jazz music, you’re in for a treat. This article will introduce you to some of the best contemporary jazz musicians that you can listen to right now. These are talented musicians who are keeping the jazz tradition alive and making it their own. Get ready to expand your musical horizons.
Kamasi Washington
Kamasi Washington is a jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader and producer from Los Angeles, California. His father was a professional jazz musician, and Washington began playing the saxophone at the age of ten. He went on to study at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston before returning to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music.
Washington has worked with a wide range of artists, including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Stanley Clarke and George Duke. He has also released several highly acclaimed solo albums, including “The Epic” in 2015 and “Heaven and Earth” in 2018. His music blends elements of jazz, hip hop, R&B and classical music, and he is considered one of the leading figures in the contemporary jazz scene.
Robert Glasper
Pianist, composer and producer Robert Glasper is one of the leading figures in contemporary jazz. His innovative style seamlessly blends elements of hip hop, R&B, rock and pop into his jazz compositions, creating a unique and modern sound. Glasper has released eight studio albums, including the Grammy-winning Black Radio and Black Radio 2. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Mos Def, Lupe Fiasco, Bilal and Erykah Badu.
Miles Davis
Miles Davis was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musical styles throughout his career, which included bebop, hard bop, post-bop, modal jazz, and electronic jazz. Born and raised in Illinois, Davis was absorbed into the California cool school while on West Coast revival tours with his great friend Charlie Parker in the late 1940s. He gained some notoriety as an iconoclastic intellectual during his years at the Leading Edge club in New York City’s Greenwich Village
He then returned to Newport beachhead with a sextet that included saxophonist Wayne Shorter, bassist Ron Carter and pianist Herbie Hancock. The sextet’s first recordings were released as the Miles in Berlin live album (1964), followed by My Funny Valentine (1965), Four & More recorded at the Carnegie Hall concert hall (1966), and Miles Smiles (1966) – all of which revealed a maturing bandleader who recognized that creative freedom within structure would allow for group interplay fostered by each musician’s individual contribution to the ensemble sound.
The Albums
In a genre often associated with the past, these contemporary jazz musicians are keeping the good times rolling by putting out some of the freshest, most innovative music around.
Kamasi Washington – Heaven and Earth
On his newest album, Kamasi Washington fuses spiritual jazz with hip hop, R&B, and funk to create a truly unique and transcendent sound. Heaven and Earth is a double album, with the first disc representing Washington’s vision of the future (Heaven) and the second disc representing the present day (Earth). This dichotomy is reflected in both the music and the lyrics, which tackle issues of race, religion, and politics with a rare candor and insight. Washington is one of the most exciting young musicians working today, and Heaven and Earth is a must-listen for fans of jazz, soul, and funk.
Robert Glasper – Black Radio
One of the most celebrated and innovative musicians of his generation, pianist and producer Robert Glasper expands the ever-growing boundaries of jazz with his critically acclaimed Black Radio. With an all-star cast including Yasiin Bey, Lupe Fiasco, Erykah Badu, Musiq Soulchild, Lalah Hathaway and Meshell Ndegeocello, Glasper once again breaks new ground with a multi-dimensional blend of hip hop, rock, R&B and pop that is fresh, modern and classic all at once.
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
If you want to get into jazz, start with Kind of Blue. It’s one of the most influential and best-selling jazz albums ever recorded, and for good reason. Recorded in 1959, the album features some of Davis’ most legendary collaborators, including John Coltrane, Bill Evans and Cannonball Adderley. The result is a timeless record that perfectly captures the laid-back cool of 1950s jazz.
