I'm using the term "Jazz Fusion" here in a broader sense of merging Jazz w/ other musical forms (not necessarily the traditional meaning of a Jazz/Rock hybrid). I'm just curious what others feel about the various hybrid musical styles that use Jazz as a dominant element of the sound, and what they would consider their personal favorite, i.e., Jazz-Rock, Acid Jazz, Jazz-Funk, Chamber Jazz, World Fusion, hell I'll even take Jazz-Rap, anything at all...

...personally, I'm pretty fond of the fusions of Jazz/Rock and Jazz/Electronica -- they seem to blend together quite nicely and more often than not, create some of my favorite music. I've always loved music that defies genre boundaries and makes use of elements from all music (I'm still waiting for my Avant-Prog-Punk-Metal group w/ ensemble female vocals, harpsichord, flute, tribal percussion and found sound samples...) :tongue: and I've always loved Jazz, so it's little surprise that in the world of Rock, most of my favorite artists make use of ideas from Jazz, and the same goes for Electronica (and my tastes in world music tend to show a similarity in improvisation/composition to many Jazz forms)...but really I just like great combinations of sound. I could go on, but I'm falling asleep, but feel free to post whatever artists you enjoy that incorperate Jazz in a non-traditional context or just cite what fusion styles you enjoy.

I love the jazz sample workings of Amon Tobin, the avant-garde Squarepusher album "Music is Rotted One Note" and the hip-hop/illbient/jazz influence of DJ Spooky's "Optometry". You can even put Savath+Savalas "Music for Trains, Trees, and Honey" in with smooth jazz. Martin, Medeski and Wood are probably one of my favorite fusionists.

seba,

You MUST MUST MUST check out a group called Xploding Plastix. I've only heard one of their albums, called "Amateur girls go proskirt agent," but it's InCREdIBLE!!

Also, check out Medeski, Martin and Wood if you haven't already done so.... probably the most influential "out there" jazz group today.

yeah the xploding plastix are good... but that album looses it's luster after you listen to it for a year or so... it's still good but it doesn't hold up to the likes of jaga jazzist... and for squarepusher i'd take 'hard normal daddy' over 'music is a rotted one note' hehehe

personally amon tobin is still tops in my book bricolage and permutations are 2 great electro-jazz albums... although he seems to have been gradually moving away from jazz over the course of his releases... his last one 'out from out where' doesn't really seem to have any of his prior jazz stylings... i still like it though (especially the last 3 tracks taken as 1 piece)

I would have to say "HND" is probably my favorite Squarepusher release and is jazzy as hell, but "music is rotted" has to be the most acoustic album he's done. He played every instrument on the album which is amazing in it's own right. Wow, an electronic musician in this world, actually has talent, who would've known.

I agree with the Amon Tobin reference. I mentioned him earlier in the thread, but starting with his Cujo project "Adventures in Foam", he caught people's eye with his jazziness, and I think Permutation was the highlight of this time, using Buddy Rich samples to compose a lot of it.

I like how jazz format is cabable of being interduced with other music formats. And love to be surprised by artisits who like to experment, like the Pat Metheny Group, or even Jim hall on Yukali..

Now jazz as Fusion genere is pretty excitng as well but i prefer fusion of the 90's up till now rather that fusion (not all) of the seventies.

Ammaro