Jazz 101 - Glossary

Avant-garde: Having more structure than free jazz, avant-garde incorporates ensembles with more of an arrangement soloists still explore freedom from conventional rules. Sometimes difficult to tell where the compositions end and the improvisation begins (solos are a growth of the arrangement). - John Coltrane

Bebop (bop):  Focused on chordal improvisation as opposed to melodic improvisation, this style inspired quicker tempos, and influenced the shift to an art form away from the commercialism of dance music. – Charlie Parker / Dizzie Gillespie / Theolonious Monk / Max Roach

Cool Jazz: A mixture of bop and swing, with less dissonance and softer tones this style placed more emphasis on arrangements, and the rhythm section took more of a backseat in this primarily studio musician influenced style. - Miles Davis (Birth of the Cool) / Bill Evans

Contemporary: Utilizing the technical elements of swing, bop and other rhythmic influences, this stream of jazz focuses on original compositions that allow for improvisatory interplay. 

Dixieland: A style that developed out of New Orleans, traditional Dixieland music focused on the trumpet, trombone and clarinet playing melody and counter-melody, with a rhythm section that included banjo. – Original Dixieland Band / Commodores / Jelly Roll Morton / Louis Armstrong

Free Jazz: Typically after playing a quick theme the improvisation of this style does not follow any particular chordal structure. Dispensed with the rules of rhythm, pitch, and development (not necessarily atonal or without pulse) colourful music punctuated by the imagination of the performer. - Ornette Coleman

Funk / Groove: An offshoot of soul jazz, the style has catchy hooks with light instrumental and lyrical ornaments. – Tower of Power / James Brown

Fusion:  A mix of jazz improvisation with the rhythms and energy of rock music, this style usually incorporates mixed meters, syncopation, and complex chord harmony.  – Chick Corea’s Elektric Band / Frank Zappa / Wayne Shorter / Jaco Pastorius

Gospel: Choir music with dominant vocal harmony, which traditionally had lyrics of a Christian nature. Contemporary gospel music utilizes piano or organ, electric guitar, bass guitar and drums. – Israel and New Breed

Gypsy Jazz:  A mixture of folk music with swing music, in a fairly acoustic setting with the main instrument being a guitar. – Django Reinhart

Hard Bop (post-bop): An extension of bop, this style borrows soulful melodies from R&B, with the bassist able to move rhythmically within the bar. Has a strong gospel influence, with a more diverse rhythm section. – Lee Morgan / Horace Silver / Blue Note label / Art Blakey

Latin Jazz: The mix of bebop horns with emphasis on percussion and Cuban rhythms make it a danceable style. The two main distinctions of Latin jazz are Afro-Cuban which is a fusion between North American and Central American roots; and Brazilian jazz styles such as bossa nova and samba. – Dizzy Gillespie / Tito Puente / Jobim / Stan Getz

Mainstream: A style of swing music adopted for smaller ensembles which focuses on standards and riff based tunes. - Oscar Peterson / Lester Young

Nu-jazz (electro-jazz): a blend of jazz textures, funk rhythms, electronic dance music, and improvisation, this style generally employs electric guitar and bass, and can be supplemented with effects such as sequencers and synthesizers as well as horns. Antipop Consortium / Brad Mehldau

Smooth Jazz: Adult contemporary jazz music, this style embodies fusion without the energetic solos, and can incorporate many layers of synth and rhythm making the ensemble more important than individual expression. – Chris Botti / Kenny G

Soul Jazz: This style is a development of hard bop, which incorporates blues influences, as well as gospel and R&B. Often utilizing the Hammond organ, soul jazz emphasizes repetitive grooves and strong melodic hooks. – Stanley Turrentine

Swing: Larger dance bands (big band) groups that included more than three or four horns, which necessitated the notation of the music (not just improvisation) with repetitious riffs and more sophisticated solos. – Tommy Dorsy / Benny Goodman / Glenn Miller

Third Stream: This style is a mixture of jazz and classical music that incorporates strings for chordal information with solo improvisation; accepted in academic circles. - Artie Shaw / Stan Kenton / Obsessions Octet

Vocal Jazz:  Performers tend towards muti-genred song selections, but with an instrumental focus on vocals. Jamie Cullum / Nathalie Cole / Madeline Peyroux / Michael Buble

Volcalese: The use of the voice as a larger element of instrument other than simply to convey lyrics. As an acoustic form, the voice can be used to emulate woodwind, brass, rhythm or percussion instruments. - Bobby McFerrin

World: Not exclusive in genre or origin, this style incorporates rhythmic and melodic elements of many cultures, with variations in style throughout sets. World groups have the ability to successfully maneuver through complex chords as well as compound meters. Pat Metheny Group / Ravi Shankar / Hugh Masekela / Randy Westin