TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
In the 1980s and 1990s, jazz experienced a powerful revival. After decades of fusion, funk, and experimentation, a new generation of musicians returned to acoustic traditions while pushing the music forward.
Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis led the charge, championing swing, blues, and the Great American Songbook.
This became known as the “Young Lions” movement—players like Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, and Roy Hargrove, who brought fresh energy to straight-ahead jazz.
At the same time, Pat Metheny and Herbie Hancock showed how electric instruments and global influences could coexist with tradition.
The revival also saw a resurgence of jazz education and institutions—Lincoln Center, university programs, and festivals—expanding the audience and training new talent
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.