TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Jazz fusion emerged in the late 1960s and ’70s as musicians began blending jazz improvisation with the rhythms, textures, and energy of rock, funk, and world music. Artists like Miles Davis and bands like Weather Report and The Mahavishnu Orchestra pushed jazz into electric territory, adding electric guitars, keyboards, and synthesizers to the traditional jazz lineup.
Fusion kept jazz's improvisational core but added new grooves, extended jams, and complex rhythms drawn from rock and funk. This cross-genre experimentation attracted a younger audience and challenged what jazz could be, opening doors to new sounds and approaches.
Today, jazz fusion continues to evolve, influencing modern jazz, R&B, and hip-hop. It’s a genre that thrives on exploration, where virtuosity meets energy, and tradition and innovation collide in electrifying ways.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and South Carolina Public Radio, made possible by the ETV Endowment of South Carolina.