In the 1970s, jazz became increasingly influenced by Latin jazz, combining rhythms from African and Latin American countries, often played on instruments such as conga, timbale, güiro, and claves, with jazz and classical harmonies played on typical jazz instruments (piano, double bass, etc.). Artists such as Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, and Al Di Meola increasingly influenced the genre with jazz fusion, a hybrid form of jazz-rock fusion which was developed by combining jazz improvisation with rock rhythms, electric instruments, and the highly amplified stage sound of rock musicians such as Jimi Hendrix. All Music Guide states that "..until around 1967, the worlds of jazz and rock were nearly completely separate." However, "...as rock became more creative and its musicianship improved, and as some in the jazz world became bored with hard bop and did not want to play strictly avant-garde music, the two different idioms began to trade ideas and occasionally combine forces." On June 16, 1972, the New York Jazz Museum opened in New York City at 125 West 55th Street in a one-and-a-half-story building. It became the most important institution for jazz in the world with a 25,000-item archive, free concerts, exhibits, film programs, etc.
Miles Davis made the breakthrough into fusion in the 1970s with his album Bitches Brew. Musicians who worked with Davis formed the four most influential fusion groups: Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra emerged in 1971 and were soon followed by Return to Forever and The Headhunters. Although jazz purists protested the blend of jazz and rock, some of jazz's significant innovators crossed over from the contemporary hard bop scene into fusion. Jazz fusion music often uses mixed meters, odd time signatures, syncopation, and complex chords and harmonies. In addition to using the electric instruments of rock, such as the electric guitar, electric bass, electric piano, and synthesizer keyboards, fusion also used the powerful amplification, "fuzz" pedals, wah-wah pedals, and other effects used by 1970s-era rock bands. Notable performers of jazz fusion included Miles Davis, keyboardists Joe Zawinul, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, vibraphonist Gary Burton, drummer Tony Williams, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, guitarists Larry Coryell, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin and Frank Zappa, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, and bassists Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke. Jazz fusion was also popular in Japan where the band Casiopea released over thirty albums praising Jazz Fusion.
In the mid-1970s, jazz funk became popular, characterized by a strong back beat (groove), electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers. The integration of funk, soul, and R&B music and styles into jazz resulted in the creation of a genre whose spectrum is indeed quite wide and ranges from strong jazz improvisation to soul, funk or disco with jazz arrangements, jazz riffs, and jazz solos, and sometimes soul vocals.
Reader's Digest measured the most popular forms of jazz from 1910 to the 1970s, and the 1970 to 1975 part of the chart listed modern jazz or bebop as the most popular subgenre, blues as the second-most popular form, ragtime revival and other traditional forms as the third-most, free jazz as fourth-most, jazz rock as the fifth-most popular, and big band as the least popular.
1970s jazz standards 1971 – "Spain".The New Real Book, Volume II, p. 339 Jazz fusion composition by Chick Corea. First recorded on Return to Forever's Light as a Feather. The famous theme from the second movement of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez is often used as an introduction for the song. 1972 – "Little Sunflower".The Real Book, Volume II, p. 244 Composed by Freddie Hubbard with lyrics by Al Jarreau. 1972 – "Red Clay".The Real Book, Volume I, p. 338 Jazz fusion composition by Freddie Hubbard. 1972 – "Waters of March" – 1972 bossa nova song by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Known in Portuguese as "Águas de Março". 1973 – "Chameleon".The Real Book, Volume II, p. 79 Jazz-funk composition by Herbie Hancock, Paul Jackson, Harvey Mason and Bennie Maupin, from Hancock's album Head Hunters. 1973 – "Mr. Magic".The Real Book, Volume II, p. 268 Written by Ralph MacDonald and William Salter. 1973 – "Send in the Clowns".Send in the Clowns at jazzstandards.com - retrieved on February 20 * 1974–2009 Song by Stephen Sondheim from the musical A Little Night Music. 1974 – "Beauty and the Beast".The Real Book, Volume I, p. 41The New Real Book, Volume II, p. 20 Jazz fusion composition by Wayne Shorter, from the album Native Dancer. 1977 – "Birdland".The Real Book, Volume II, p. 46 Jazz fusion composition by Joe Zawinul. Originally released on Heavy Weather by Weather Report, it is instantly recognizable by bassist Jaco Pastorius' introduction using artificial harmonics, and notes sung by him by the end of the song. The tune was one of the biggest hits of the jazz fusion movement.[ 8:30] review on Allmusic - retrieved on November 28, 2010
1970
Events July: Lee Morgan records Live at the Lighthouse at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, California
Album releases
Paul Bley: Improvisie Miles Davis: Bitches Brew Marion Brown: Afternoon of a Georgia Faun Alice Coltrane: Ptah, the El Daoud McCoy Tyner: Extensions Art Ensemble of Chicago: Les Stances a Sophie Sonny Sharrock: Monkey-Pockie-Boo Freddie Hubbard: Straight Life Art Ensemble of Chicago: Art Ensemble of Chicago with Fontella Bass Pharoah Sanders: Deaf Dumb Blind (Summun Bukmun Umyun) Jan Garbarek: Afric Pepperbird Evan Parker: The Topography of the Lungs Herbie Hancock: Mwandishi Spontaneous Music Ensemble: So What Do You Think Alice Coltrane: Journey in Satchidananda Stanley Turrentine: Sugar Woody Shaw: Blackstone Legacy Freddie Hubbard: Red Clay McCoy Tyner: Asante Leon Thomas: The Leon Thomas Album Hubert Laws: Afro-Classic John McLaughlin: My Goal's Beyond ICP Orchestra: Groupcomposing Guenter Hampel: People Symphony Keith Tippett: Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening Misha Mengelberg: Instant Composers Pool 005 Guenter Hampel: Ballet-Symphony Chris McGregor: Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath Joe McPhee: Nation Time
Deaths Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1906 – May 11) Booker Ervin (October 31, 1930 – July 31) Albert Ayler (July 13, 1936 – November 25)
Births Harald Johnsen (March 21), Norwegian upright-bassist Simone (August 21), Norwegian singer Tord Gustavsen (October 5), Norwegian pianist Maria Kannegaard (October 6), Norwegian pianist
1971
Album releases
Carla Bley: Escalator Over The Hill Charles Mingus: Let My Children Hear Music Paul Bley: Dual Unity Art Ensemble of Chicago: Phase One (1971) Mahavishnu Orchestra: The Inner Mounting Flame Weather Report: Weather Report Jean-Luc Ponty: Open Strings Pharoah Sanders: Black Unity Lol Coxhill: Ear of the Beholder Keith Jarrett: Facing You Mike Westbrook: Metropolis Willem Breuker: Instant Composers Pool 008 Jan Garbarek: Sart Chick Corea: The Gathering Keith Tippett: Septober Energy George Russell: Listen to the Silence Ornette Coleman: Science Fiction Spontaneous Music Ensemble: So What Do You Think Derek Bailey: Solo Guitar Freddie Hubbard: First Light Keith Jarrett: Expectations Chick Corea: Piano Improvisations Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 Joe Zawinul: Zawinul Joe McPhee: Trinity Oliver Nelson: Swiss Suite Terje Rypdal: Terje Rypdal Alice Coltrane: Universal Consciousness Paul Winter: Icarus Alice Coltrane: World Galaxy Paul Winter: Road Donald Byrd: Ethiopian Knights Tim Weisberg: Tim Weisberg Don Ellis: Tears of Joy
Deaths Louis Armstrong (August 4, 1901 - July 6), singer and trumpeter Charlie Shavers (August 3, 1920 – July 8), trumpet player Wynton Kelly (December 2, 1931 — April 12), pianist
Births Stian Carstensen (January 5), Norwegian accordionist and multi-instrumentalist Øyvind Brandtsegg (February 16), Norwegian percussionist Kristin Asbjørnsen (May 12), Norwegian singer Erland Dahlen (May 15), Norwegian drummer Håvard Fossum (June 7), Norwegian saxophonist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (September 23), Norwegian upright-bassist Helén Eriksen (October 19), Norwegian singer and saxophonist Frode Berg (October 24), Norwegian upright-bassist
1972
Events Grant Green records Live at the Lighthouse at the Lighthouse Café in Hermosa Beach, California
Album releases
Anthony Braxton: Saxophone Improvisations Series F Dave Holland: Conference of the Birds McCoy Tyner: Sahara London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Ode Weather Report: I Sing the Body Electric Jean-Luc Ponty: Sonata Erotica Herbie Hancock: Crossings John Surman: Westering Home Chick Corea: Light as a Feather Guenter Hampel: Familie Chick Corea: Return to Forever Paul Motian: Conception Vessel Neil Ardley: Symphony of Amaranths David Liebman: Open Sky Ornette Coleman: Skies of America Gato Barbieri: Bolivia Eric Kloss: One, Two, Free Gary Burton: Crystal Silence Guenter Hampel: Angel Albert Mangelsdorff: Trombirds Julius Hemphill: Dogon AD Randy Weston: Tanjah Guenter Hampel: Waltz For 11 Universes In A Corridor Joe Henderson: Black Is the Color Guenter Hampel: Broadway Nucleus: Belladonna Miles Davis: On The Corner Oregon: Music Of Another Present Era Paul Bley: Open, to Love George Russell: Living Time McCoy Tyner: Echoes of a Friend Mahavishnu Orchestra: Birds of Fire Stanley Cowell: Illusion Suite Stanley Clarke: Children of Forever Gary Bartz: Juju Street Songs Airto Moreira: Free
Deaths Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19) Jimmy Rushing (August 26, 1901 - June 8) Kenny Dorham (August 30, 1924 - December 5)
Births Siri Gjære (February 1), Norwegian singer Christer Fredriksen (April 15), Norwegian guitarist Ketil Gutvik (July 4), Norwegian guitarist Roger Johansen (July 29), Norwegian drummer
1973
Album releases
Sam Rivers: Streams Roland Kirk: Prepare Thyself To Deal With A Miracle Dollar Brand: Sangoma Art Ensemble of Chicago: Fanfare For The Warriors Don Cherry: Relativity Suite Cecil Taylor: Spring of Two Blue J's Keith Jarrett: Solo Concerts McCoy Tyner: Enlightenment Carla Bley: Tropic Appetites Dollar Brand: African Space Program Marion Brown: Geechee Recollections Herbie Hancock: Sextant Frank Wright: Church Number Nine Gato Barbieri: Latin America Frank Lowe: Black Beings Ralph Towner: Diary Dewey Redman: The Ear of the Behearer Eberhard Weber: The Colours of Chloë Roswell Rudd: Numatik Swing Band Oregon: Distant Hills Dollar Brand: African Portraits Weather Report: Sweetnighter David Liebman: Lookout Farm Oscar Peterson: The Trio Cecil Taylor: Solo John Surman: Morning Glory Betty Carter: Album Mal Waldron: Up Popped the Devil Michael Mantler: No Answer Billy Cobham: Spectrum Herbie Hancock: Head Hunters Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Mouthpiece Charles Earland: Leaving This Planet Flora Purim: Butterfly Dreams Herbie Hancock: Thrust Billy Cobham: Crosswinds
Deaths Kid Ory (December 25, 1886 – January 23) Spanky DeBrest (April 24, 1937 – March 2) Willie "The Lion" Smith (November 23, 1893 – April 18) Eddie Condon (November 16, 1905 – August 4) Bill Harris (October 28, 1916 - August 21) Ben Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20) Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16)
Births Børre Dalhaug (April 29), Norwegian drummer Torbjørn Sletta Jacobsen (August 11), Norwegian saxophonist Wetle Holte (September 4), Norwegian drummer Thomas T. Dahl (September 7), Norwegian guitarist Eirik Hegdal (October 3), Norwegian saxophonist and band leader Christian Jaksjø (December 18), Norwegian trombonist
1974
Album releases
Keith Jarrett: Belonging (ECM) Sam Rivers: Crystals Cecil Taylor: Silent Tongues Steve Lacy: Saxophone Special Jeanne Lee: Conspiracy Leo Smith: Reflectativity Weather Report: Mysterious Traveller Randy Weston: Blues To Africa Marion Brown: Sweet Earth Flying