Acid jazz, also called club jazz, psychedelic jazz, or groove jazz, is a music style that mixes funk, soul, and hip hop. It started in London clubs in the 1980s with the rare groove movement and later spread to the United States, Western Europe, Latin America, and Japan. Musicians from the UK included The Brand New Heavies, Incognito, James Taylor Quartet, Us3, and Jamiroquai.
Smooth jazz is a type of music that combines elements of jazz with other styles to appeal to a wide audience. Some people call it a “genre,” but others argue about whether it truly fits that category. On the radio, smooth jazz became a popular format that replaced easy listening music, which was commonly played from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s.
Afro-Cuban jazz is the first type of Latin jazz. It combines Afro-Cuban rhythms based on a pattern called clave with jazz harmonies and the use of improvisation. Afro-Cuban music originates from African traditions and rhythms.
Samba-jazz, also called jazz samba, is a type of instrumental music that came from the bossa nova scene in Brazil during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This style combined elements of Brazilian samba with American jazz, especially bebop and hard bop, which Brazilian musicians learned through performances in gafieiras and nightclubs, especially in Rio de Janeiro. At first, samba-jazz used piano, double bass, and drums, but later included more instruments.
Bossa nova (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈbɔsɐ ˈnɔvɐ]) is a calm type of samba that began in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is known for its gentle, rhythmic pattern, with chords and finger movements on the guitar that copy the beat of a samba rhythm, as if simplifying the sound made by a samba school band. Another key feature is the use of unusual chords and complex musical progressions that sometimes create unclear or uncertain harmonies.
Latin jazz is a type of jazz music that uses rhythms from Latin America. It has two main types: Afro-Cuban jazz, which uses rhythms from Cuban dance music and includes repeating patterns or a specific rhythmic structure called a clave, and Afro-Brazilian jazz, which includes styles like samba and bossa nova.
Modal jazz is a type of jazz that uses musical modes. Instead of relying on one main musical key throughout a piece, it changes between these modes to match the chords. Although it still influences music today, modal jazz was most popular during the 1950s and 1960s.
Avant-garde jazz, also called avant-jazz, experimental jazz, or “new thing,” is a type of music that mixes avant-garde art music with jazz. It began in the early 1950s and grew through the late 1960s. One of the first styles within avant-garde jazz was free jazz, and the two terms once meant the same thing.
Free jazz, also called free form jazz, is a type of experimental jazz that began in the late 1950s and early 1960s. During this time, musicians tried to change or break away from traditional jazz rules, such as steady rhythms, specific tones, and predictable chord patterns. Many musicians felt that earlier styles like bebop and modal jazz were too restrictive, so they focused on creating new ways to play.
Cool jazz is a type of modern jazz music that began in the United States after World War II. It was influenced by bebop and big band styles. Cool jazz has slower and calmer beats compared to the fast and complicated bebop style.