Post-Fusion Contemporary

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Post-Fusion Contemporary is a broad umbrella genre that contains several recent trends in jazz. One important branch of Contemporary Jazz (which first appeared in the mid 1970s) is rooted in Northern Europe and is often associated with the ECM label. This is a somber style of jazz often played in straight (non-swing) rhythm with elements of regional folk music and early 20th century classical music. This style is sometimes referred to as ‘chamber jazz’. Some early practitioners include Keith Jarret and Jan Garbarek. Although originally rooted in Europe, today this style is played and enjoyed around the world.

Another branch of the Contemporary sound started in the late 70s when artists such as Jeff Lorber and Pat Methany began to play in a style that mixed fusion with elements of smooth jazz and post bop. This was a somewhat light and radio friendly style of jazz, and a very dominant force until acoustic post/hard bop made a comeback.

Although most early forms of Contemporary Jazz were of a light and borderline easy listening nature, today’s Contemporary artists are often playing in a more energetic and rhythmic style influenced by indie rock, hip-hop, RnB, drumnbass, world beat and fusion. Leading the way in the new sound is the modern jazz piano trio. Heavily influenced by the popular trio, e.s.t., most of these groups consist of a trap set, acoustic bass and a very powerful virtuoso piano player.

Today’s Contemporary genre often borders on Classic Fusion, but there are differences. The rock influence in fusion comes from extravagant jam band artists like Jimi Hendrix, while the Contemporary artist draws from moody and dronish indie rock bands like Radiohead and REM. Fusion tends to have a basis in Afro-Latin or funk rhythms, while Contemporary Jazz tends to have straighter rhythms taken from pop and art rock.

Generally speaking, the difference between Contemporary and Post Bop is that Post Bop usually swings, while Contemporary often does not, although the new Contemporary piano trios continue to blur lines by occasionally playing in a post bop swing style too. Harmonically speaking, Post Bop usually uses the extended harmonies of jazz (9th chords, 11ths etc), while Contemporary may mix jazz harmonies with the simpler triadic harmonies of pop or classical.

post-fusion contemporary top albums

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KEITH JARRETT The Köln Concert Album Cover The Köln Concert
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4.70 | 38 ratings
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4.62 | 11 ratings
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4.56 | 17 ratings
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4.61 | 9 ratings
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KETIL BJØRNSTAD Ketil Bjørnstad / David Darling / Terje Rypdal / Jon Christensen : The Sea Album Cover Ketil Bjørnstad / David Darling / Terje Rypdal / Jon Christensen : The Sea
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4.83 | 3 ratings
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TOMASZ STAŃKO Litania: Music of Krzysztof Komeda Album Cover Litania: Music of Krzysztof Komeda
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4.62 | 4 ratings
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post-fusion contemporary Music Reviews

KARI ANTILA Dahill Road

Album · 2023 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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Matti P
My first acquaintance with the Finnish jazz guitarist and composer Kari Antila (b. 1966) was circa 2016 when I attended his gig (as a duo with a pianist, I believe it was), in a Helsinki restaurant. I liked it enough to buy right there his first album The North Wind (2013), but have to admit I've seldom listened to it. It featured Manuel Dunkel's saxophone. This latest Antila album is a quartet work, featuring pianist Alexi Tuomarila and the rhythm section of double bassist Kaisa Mäensivu -- also known as a band leader of her own -- and drummer Tuomas Timonen. All seven pieces were composed by Antila.

Right from the opening track 'For Toninho' I came to think of PAT METHENY, his easy-going and light-hearted output, to be more precise. This association is helped by the Lyle Mays style pianism and, above all, Antila's use of his voice as an additional instrument in the similar manner as on several Metheny albums. 'Moving Clouds' is slightly moody in its peaceful tempo and features Kaisa's double bass solo.

'Wild Rooster' is naturally among the livelier stuff here, nevertheless it maintains the sonic smoothness. Throughout the album the music is sophisticated, melodic, fairly gentle and easy on the ears and mind. Happy moods and a more introspective delicacy are in a harmonic balance. Not even 'Waltz for the Swan of Tuonela' gets notably dark, nor it (or Antila's music in general) sounds particularly Finnish, despite the title's reference to Kalevala/ Jean Sibelius.

The voice as an instrument returns on the final piece 'On my Way to Nairobi'. All in all this excellently played and produced album is very easy to enjoy, and especially fans of Pat Metheny will feel at home here. What it perhaps lacks is a wider variety in (guitar) sounds and truly memorable highlights. Four stars, therefore.

PAT METHENY New Chautauqua

Album · 1979 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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FunkFreak75
My first Pat Metheny acquisition. I was a bit thrown by the strange sound palette of Pat's solo work--sometimes layers of treated guitars, acoustic and, I thought, electric. There were also many melodies and structures that were strange to me, his tone so delicate and, I think I felt, folk-country-western, even, sometimes, quite angular and unmelodic. It took a long time for me to become familiar with this music--to eventually "like" it, much less understand it, but something about it kept me coming back, kept me trying--trying to "get inside" the music. Now I listen to it 45 years on and I don't have any issues: I like it all. It's all, of course, very familiar to me now.

PAT METHENY As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (with Lyle Mays)

Album · 1981 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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FunkFreak75
Wow! What a ride is the title song "As Falls..." (20:44) (40/40)! Truly one of the great jazz-fuion/prog epics of all-time and, according to my own system of metrics, the greatest of the 1980s. Nana Vasconçuelos, Lyle and Pat take you on a journey into the planetary ethernet before the World Wide Web was even conceived! Then there is Side 2! The joyful "Ozark" (9/10), emotional and beautiful "September Fifteenth" (10/10), and the also-so-joyful "It's for You" (New Chautauqua, Pt. 2) (19/20). I was and still am so blown away by this album. The shock and awe is as powerful as it was the first time I heard it in 1981. A masterpiece of progressive music by one of the most creative, eclectic and prolific music artists of this or any generation.

CHARLIE HADEN Beyond The Missouri Sky (with Pat Metheny)

Album · 1997 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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FunkFreak75
If you ever wish to experience musical majesty from two true masters of their craft--and in an album form which never lets one down (though don't be expecting endless noodling, instead be ready for atmospheric paintings that capture the spirit and feel of the Missouri landscapes. Half of the songs are compositions of one of the two performers while the other half are covers of songs by much respected other artists like Jimmy Webb, Ennio and Andrea Morricone, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mandel, and Roy Acuff. The two performers are both iconic, each having earned critical and listener respect and praise from early years and throughout their long and distinguished careers, and I have to say this album may be one of the most satisfying emotional jaunts through nostalgia of the raw beauty of our American landscapes since Ry Kooder's soundtrack to the Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas. Do yourself a huge favor: listen to this album. You can YouTube it while you cook or read or work on a puzzle. It's gorgeous music in the way background music can soothe and heal the soul. (It may not, however, be prog. But, here we are!)

PAT METHENY Dream Box

Album · 2023 · Post-Fusion Contemporary
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FunkFreak75
It's been a while since I've heard a Pat Metheny album that was entirely him doing solo guitar. (Orchestration doesn't count.) 1979's New Chatauqua (my first Metheny purchase back in 1980)) may be the only one I can think of (as well as the one album that I know that this album most reminds me of--besides the duets with Charlie Haden), though many of his albums contained solo pieces (as do his concerts), not many contain only him. Whereas the music of Pat's youth was much more diversified in dynamics and temperament, this one seems to be quite contemplative--reminding much more of the solo piano works of the late great BILL EVANS (which also makes this album quite reminiscent of the GREAT tribute album John McLaughlin did of Bill Evans songs on his 1993 album, "Time Remembered"). There are plenty of familiar melodies delivered in little riffs within the perfectly rendered guitar-generated songs. It always amazes me how quiet Pat's playing: both from his fingerboard work and his flatpicking. Also, I realize that none of these songs is rendered through one single track--that Pat often includes layers of support guitars and bass beneath his lead instrument, so I don't want to give the wrong impression with my categorization of this album as works of "solo guitar" play.

A very difficult album to rate (as are the individual songs which, again like John McLaughlin's 1993 "Time Remembered" album, all serve to evoke a flow of one contemplative, retrospective and introspective collection of songs) I find it difficult to now give this gorgeous, nostalgic album from one of the all-time masters of the melodic guitar anything less than five stars. Still, this is not New Age or smooth jazz so much as the privilege of sitting in the same room (space) with one of the great guitar masters. At the same time, there a few standout songs. The pop familiarity ("Spooky" and "Am I the Same Girl " come to mind) of 5. "Never Was Love" (5:57) is unmistakable and completely disarming. 6. "I Dream Too Easily" (5:08) sounds as if it is about to be blessed with a vocal by 1990s DIANA KRALL. 9. "Clouds Can't Change The Sky" (7:15) opens like a Cole Porter song before slowing down and spacing out for one of Pat's deeply emotional solo pieces--one that would have been rendered trebly more beautiful by Jeremy Lubbock's wonderful walls of sound from the London Orchestra or Toots Thielemans' harmonica for the Grammy Award winning 1992 album Secret Story album. And, of course, there is the album's opener, 1. "The Waves Are Not the Ocean" (7:14) whose introspective beauty sets the stage for all that is to follow.

Beauty. Something that is ever appreciated, never expected, always precious and satisfying.

Another masterpiece from one of jazz AND prog's true geniuses.

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