Jazz  •  Fusion

Straight-Ahead Jazz

Overview Artists Albums Songs

Often mistakenly referred to as mainstream jazz, straight-ahead jazz is a term used to describe any jazz from the '70s onward that is not influenced by fusion and adheres closely to the historical traditions of jazz. After trumpeter Miles Davis' polarizing 1969 fusion landmark Bitches Brew, purists argued that fusion, with its reliance on rock-oriented beats and electric instrumentation, was not “real” jazz. Thus, the term straight-ahead jazz was coined to refer to jazz that ignored the rock-leaning sound. Jazz labels began springing up to record and release straight-ahead albums, the most notable being Concord Records, founded in 1972 by promoter Carl Jefferson as an extension of his Concord Jazz Festival. But the straight-ahead aesthetic came into sharpest focus in 1980 with the release of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis' self-titled debut album. Marsalis’ strong technical abilities on the instrument, his obvious understanding of the jazz tradition, his preference for acoustic modern jazz of the ‘60s and even his penchant for appearing in a suit and tie (during a time when t-shirts and jeans were de rigueur) all helped codify the straight-ahead jazz aesthetic. That said, straight-ahead jazz is by no means a homogenous style. Straight-ahead musicians can be influenced by any jazz up through the '60s, even including some early avant-garde jazz. In that sense, straight-ahead jazz has much in common with post-bop and in fact, many musicians play both. However, there are a few common touchstones that most straight-ahead jazz musicians follow: an emphasis on swing rhythm, blues forms including call and response, and a heavy reliance on American Popular Song as well as bop and other jazz standards.