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Jazz-funk is a subgenre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat, electrified sounds,[1] and analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre that ranges from pure jazz improvisation to soul, funk or disco with jazz arrangements, jazz riffs, jazz solos, and sometimes soul vocals.[2]
| Jazz-funk | |
|---|---|
 Herbie Hancock, one of the pioneers of jazz-funk | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | Late 1960s – 1970s, United States |
| Subgenres | |
| Free funk | |
| Other topics | |
| Jazz fusion | |
Jazz-funk is primarily an American genre, where it was popular throughout the 1970s and the early 1980s that also achieved appeal on the club-circuit in England during the mid-1970s. Similar genres include soul jazz and acid jazz.
Description
editJazz-funk exhibits several distinctive characteristics. More emphasis is placed composition than improvisation, as well as arrangements, melody, and writing. This is a return from funky jazz and free jazz to the street funk movement. Examples of early jazz funk albums include Miles Davis' On the Corner (1972)[3] and Jimmy Smith's Root Down (1972). The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron, Lightnin' Rod, T.S. Monk, Pleasure, Boogaloo Joe Jones, Lenny White, Don Blackman, Monk Higgins, Wilbur Bascomb,[4] and Les DeMerle[5] and Michael Henderson[6] released jazz funk albums. Miles Davis, Donald Byrd and Herbie Hancock were major influences. The Mizell Brothers were producers for many artists. Their work was sampled in later music.
A second characteristic was the use of electric instruments, such as the Rhodes Piano or the electric bass guitar, particularly in jazz fusion, and the first use of analogue electronic instruments notably by Hancock, who during his jazz-funk period surrounded himself with Moog synthesizers. He used Hohner D6 Clavinet and others. Hancock adopted jazz-funk on albums such as Head Hunters (1973). In the early 1980s, he added electronic influences into the jazz-funk mix when he created Future Shock (1983). Jennifer Lopez popularized it in the sketch comedy In Living Color.[7]
Development
editAt its inception, jazz-funk was occasionally looked down upon as a sell-out, or "jazz for the dance halls". The controversy may have helped jazz find a larger audience.[8]
By contrast pop audiences found it "too jazzy" and therefore too complex.[9]
Producers
editMany mainstream artists in jazz used specialist producers to great commercial success. Larry and Fonce Mizell [10] were produced many of the major jazz-funk artists (Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Gary Bartz, Donald Byrd, and more).
Other producers included Philadelphia musician Dexter Wansel, generally acclaimed musicians (especially arrangers) themselves who tried their hand at sound-engineer, arranger, or composer.
United Kingdom
editIn the UK's nightclubs of the mid-late 1970s, DJs including Colin Curtis in Manchester, Birmingham's Graham Warr and Shaun Williams, and Leeds-based Ian Dewhirst and Paul Schofield championed the genre, along with Chris Hill and Bob Jones in the South.[11]
London-based soul and funk pioneers drew a new audience to jazz: notably pirate radio stations Invicta 92.4 and JFM. In the late 1980s, rare groove crate diggers–DJs in England who were interested in looking back into the past and re-discovering old tunes–Norman Jay and Gilles Peterson achieved prominence.
While the majority of jazz-funk bands are American, British jazz-funk artists and bands emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[12] They were encouraged by club DJs such as Chris Hill and Robbie Vincent, who was then on BBC Radio London, and Greg Edwards, who had a show on London's first commercial radio station, Capital Radio. They launched a jazz festival in 1980, where the jazz-funk band Light of the World performed.[13] Jazz-funk was also played on Europe's first soul station, Radio Invicta, and pirate radio stations such as Solar Radio, Horizon, and Kiss FM.[14] The first of these bands to establish a UK identity was Light of the World, formed by Kenny Wellington,[15] Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick and other musicians. The better known acid jazz movement has been seen as a rediscovery of 1970s jazz-funk, interpreted by artists of the 1990s. Incognito, The Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai, and the James Taylor Quartet helped the acid jazz movement surge in popularity. UK group US3 signed to Acid Jazz Records, founded by Peterson and Eddie Piller. US3 covered "Cantaloupe Island", originally recorded by Herbie Hancock.[16]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Napster: The Music Service for Music Fans". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007.
- ^ "Jazz | Significant Albums, Artists and Songs". AllMusic. 2013-11-24. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
- ^ Freeman, Philip (2005). Running the Voodoo Down: The Electric Music of Miles Davis. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 10, 178. ISBN 1-61774-521-9.
- ^ Wilbur Bascomb Retrieved 20 June 2023
- ^ Les DeMerle at Allmusic. Retrieved 20 June 2023
- ^ Erlewine, Michael, ed. (1997). All Music Guide to Country: The Experts' Guide to the Best Recordings in Country Music. AMG All Music Guides. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 88, 208. ISBN 978-0-87930-475-1.
- ^ "Remember when J.Lo was a 'Fly Girl'?". New York Post. 2018-08-20. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
- ^ Article referring to Donald Byrd the Mizell Brothers from John Murph in JazzTimes magazine dated April 04
- ^ Journal of American Culture, Art vs. the Audience: The Paradox of Modern Jazz, by R Francesconi, winter 1981, also see article "Films from the Young-Man-with-a-Horn Genre" form the journal of macro marketing by Coulumbia uni' MN Holbrook
- ^ "Blue Note Records". Archived from the original on June 14, 2006.
- ^ Cotgrove, Mark (2009). Mark Cotgrove, From Jazz Funk & Fusion to Acid Jazz: The History of the UK Jazz Dance Scene. Chaser Publications. ISBN 978-1-4389-7360-9.
- ^ [1] Archived August 31, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ A secret history of UK dance Retrieved 26 June 2023
- ^ "The Story of Soul Music Radio in the U.K". Archived from the original on May 19, 2006.
- ^ "Featured Content on Myspace". Myspace.com. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
- ^ US3 Allmusic Retrieved 26 July 2024