Nu Jazz, or Electronic Jazz/Future Jazz, is a kind of music that first appeared in the late 1990s. It combines conventional jazz elements, electronic music, soul, funk, and other contemporary influences. This new kind of music fuses jazz improvisational elements with electronic beats to produce a distinctive sound that both jazz lovers and followers of modern music enjoy.
How Nu Jazz was Invented
Nu jazz is the most recent reincarnation of jazz for the new generation joining the scene. It has had a significant impact on contemporary top 40’s radio successes. Jazz music comes in and out of fashion in what seems to be an endless cycle. The 1990s hip hop’s turntable-based, sample-heavy beat-making techniques greatly influenced Nu Jazz when it first emerged. Another significant impact was the ambient post-rock guitar. However, it has mainly disappeared except for one of two acts.
Following its precursors’ footsteps, this genre mixes the rhythms and patterns of more modern, electric-based musical genres, such as hip-hop and rock, with the foundations of jazz music, primarily modal jazz. A novice listener can quickly learn about this style since it is so broad. Also, there are a lot of bands with a wide range of opinions on what modern jazz should sound like. This is because the genre has undergone several iterations over 20 years.
Notable Legends
Nils Petter Molvaer and Bugge Wesseltoft are two examples of pioneering Nu Jazz musicians. Numerous sounds have influenced the Nu Jazz sound over time. Stylish, easy listening, and exotica arrangers like Henry Mancini and Les Baxter’s rich orchestrations have been rediscovered by acts like Jagga Jazzist and Snarky Puppy. The repetition of minimalist phrases is still an additional influence. It first started in the style of the well-known Portico Quartet and others.
In addition to minimalist composers like Steve Reich and Phillip Glass, Zeuhl artists and a long tradition of European art rock have also used brief recurring melodic themes. The early work of Nils Petter Molvaer and others shows influences from ambient music, which is also a component of the Nu Jazz genre. Nick Bartsch is a well-known Nu Jazz musician who frequently fuses repetitive minimalist figures with a dub reggae atmosphere.
The influence of this genre on the present popular music played on radio stations, especially with this new generation of indie pop that is becoming increasingly popular, is one of the genre’s most outstanding features. Songs by artists like NIKI, Arianna Grande, Billie Eilish, and Finneas may all be linked to Nu Jazz influences. However, Thundercat’s music, as a bassist, has had the most significant direct impact. He has also created music with other musicians like Childish Gambino, Shafiq Husayn, and Kendrick Lamar.
Jazz is a constantly developing sound. Big Band music was famous for decades before Bebop and Post-Bop. Now Nu Jazz is popular with its combination of jazz theory with hip-hop beats.
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