The Other Side of Fusion: Jazz Rock

Get in touch!

The first generation of jazz rock musicians had been heavily influenced by some of the pioneering jazz musicians who forged jazz fusion, beginning with Miles Davis.  Miles was the first of the great jazz artists to venture into the new, amplified and electronic sounds of 1960’s rock music, and in doing it he recruited a number of very young, incredibly talented, and mostly unknown musicians who became giants in their own right,

As a number of jazz musicians embraced elements of rock music, rock’s audience re-discovered jazz.  Music is a living, breathing part of our culture, it is changeable in the hands of both listeners and players.  We take it up and use it as it gives us pleasure.  Just as jazz musicians were blending rock music into their art, rock musicians were equally influenced by jazz players, and they also added jazz elements into their own music. 

This is the first of a two-part deep dive into the world of jazz rock.  In this episode, you'll see how some of rock's greatest musicians have been influenced by jazz.  We'll also spend some time on a deeper dive into a few of the great jazz rock bands of the past, including Blood Sweat and Tears, and Chicago.  In part two, we'll come back and explore the music of Steely Dan, Traffic and Supertramp.  I think you'll enjoy it!

Music In this episode:

Weather Report: Boogie Woogie Waltz
The Grateful Dead: Help On the Way
John Coltrane: A Love Supreme
Duke Ellington: Take the A Train
The Modern Jazz Quartet: Bluesology
David Bowie: Life On Mars
Keith Richards: Blues Jam
Nat King Cole Trio: Straighten Up and Fly Right
Ornette Coleman:
Jimi Hendrix: South Saturn Delta
John McLaughlin: Devotion
Charlie Watts: All or Nothing at All
Tim Ries: Miss You
Ginger Baker's Air Force: Da Da Man
Miles Davis: Guinnevere
David Crosby: Amelia
Bob Dylan: Like a Rolling Stone
Blood Sweat and Tears: I Love You More than You'll Ever Know
Blood Sweat and Tears: God Bless the Child
The Buckinghams: Kind of a Drag
Chicago: Questions 67 and 68
Chicago: Make Me Smile
Chicago: If You Leave Me Now
Chicago: It Better End Soon
Chicago: Alive Again

Interviews in This Episode
Al Kooper
David Crosby
James Pankow
Danny Serafine

This episode is dedicated to the memories of:
Charlie Watts
Wayne Shorter
David Crosby
Thank you for all the beautiful music!

Join our community and continue your journey through American Song: Visit us on Facebook.

There, you'll get more information, video content, and more about the music and personalities covered in all our episodes.