fusion
A genre blending jazz improvisation with rock, funk, and electronic elements.
In Depth
Jazz fusion emerged in the late 1960s when Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and others began incorporating electric instruments, rock rhythms, and studio effects into jazz. Weather Report, Return to Forever, and the Mahavishnu Orchestra became fusion's leading acts. Fusion features virtuosic soloing over complex, often odd-metered grooves, with electric bass, synthesisers, and amplified guitars replacing traditional acoustic jazz instrumentation. It divided jazz purists but expanded the audience.
Miles Davis's Bitches Brew (1970) was the album that launched fusion, and Columbia Records marketed it to rock audiences at festivals rather than jazz clubs.