Nu jazz

Not to be confused withJazz house.

Nu Jazz
Stylistic origins	Jazz acid jazz jazz fusion soul smooth jazz electronica free jazz house electronic jazz rap techno EDM dance
Cultural origins	Early 1990s, United States, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, Norway, Mexico, and Brazil
Other topics
Electro swing trip hop

Nu jazz(also speltnü jazzor known asjazztronica,orfuture jazz) is a genre ofjazzandelectronic music.The music blendsjazzelements with other musical styles, such asfunk,electronic music,andfree improvisation.

Nu jazz typically ventures further into the electronic territory than does its close cousin,acid jazz.Nu jazz can be very experimental in nature and can vary widely in sound and concept.The sound departs further from its blues roots than acid jazz does, and instead explores electronic sounds and ethereal jazz sensualities."The star of Nu jazz is the music itself and not the individual dexterity of the musicians."

History

Nu jazz began with the use of electronic instruments in the 1970s, with contributions from artists likeMiles Davis,Herbie Hancock,andOrnette Coleman.Herbie Hancock's work in the early 1980s, particularly his collaboration with Bill Laswell on the album "Future Shock," played a pivotal role in defining the genre by incorporating electro and hip-hop rhythms. By the late 1980s, many hip-hop musicians were exploring jazz-rap, including groups likeGang Starr,The Roots,A Tribe Called Quest,andNas.Concurrently, in the 1980s, numerous house musicians drew inspiration fromjazz,especially post-bop and jazz-funk.

In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, downtempo artists such as Jazztronik, St Germain, Truby Trio, DJ Takemura, Perry Hemus, and Jazzanova delved deeper into jazz. During the same period, producers of intelligent dance music, including notable names like Squarepusher and Spring Heel Jack, and later London Elektricity and Landslide, also showed interest in nu jazz. Techno musicians likeCarl Craigand his Innerzone Orchestra project demonstrated interest in the genre. Figures from hardcore and breakcore scenes, such asAlec Empire,Nic Endo,andVenetian Snares,experimented with a harsher and more noisy variant of nu jazz. A decade later, some dubstep producers, like Boxcutter, also explored electronic jazz.

While maintaining traditional jazz forms, pianistBugge Wesseltoftand trumpeterNils Petter Molværare known for their improvisations in the nu jazz style.The Cinematic Orchestrais recognized for incorporating traditional jazz elements into their musical productions alongside electronic elements. St Germain, a prominent figure in nu jazz, even sold 1.5 million copies of his album "Tourist."

See also

• Broken beat
• Groovera New Modern Radio
• Saint-Germain-des-Prés Café(popular series of nu-jazz compilations)
• Chillout

Sources

• "A Flourish of Jazz",Time Magazine article, including mention of the use of electronics injazz fusion.