Sonhando Estwick, NYC Principal, on Jazz Influences

Jazz music has become the core of many modern songs, from the upbeat instruments like trumpet and saxophone to the soulful vocals, modern music has adapted it’s most precious techniques giving us an old school sound with a new school mix.

Hip Hop

Hip Hop has adapted Jazz music in a way that completely changed the sound. Many artists have taken on the use of live instruments when recording their albums. Artists like Drake have adapted the Louisiana sound and reinvented a genre that hasn’t received mainstream recognition. The mix of the hard backbeat, with the strong trumpet overlay, has changed the way that we appreciate the trumpet and the range that can be achieved when creating pieces with it. Artists like Beyonce travel with an all-female band that specializes in not only vocal ensembles, but instruments such as trumpet, saxophone, drums and many others that create a live jazz sound.

Rock and Roll

Although Rock and Roll has adapted most of its sound from the blues, Jazz music has influenced the way that music is composed. Focusing on soloists during concerts, giving each instrument time to really be heard, and allowing the audience to decide the feel of the music was adapted from many jazz concerts. Most Rock and Roll albums of today follow common chord progressions, along with dark tones and deep musical knowledge that allows for unique listening, far beyond creating a hit song. Artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Jimi Hendrix focused on creating unique sounds for their listeners, just as full-time jazz artists have done in the past.

Pop

Artists who create pop music have been influenced by jazz in a way that they don’t realize. Being an artist who is able to upkeep popular music, sell to the masses, and continue to make music that you love is a trait of a jazz musician. Artists like Justin Timberlake are able to play with 12 piece bands who rearrange some of his hit sounds to get them ready for a live performance. Other artists and producers are able to collaborate like jazz artists, for example, Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. Jones previously worked with many jazz musicians in his earlier days and used his influence on Michael Jackson to create albums like Thriller, incorporating everything he learned from those musicians. Thriller became the highest selling album of all time, with the spelling of the minor 9th chord, and live instruments being used while recording in the studio.

Not all modern music has taken a direct influence from jazz, but many have. Artists of today have realized the uniqueness in the sound and have tried graciously to recreate it. When a genre that is so different like jazz is able to make its musical influence on other genres you are bound to get sounds you’ve never heard before. This is the beauty of music, once created, you are able to listen to it and learn it and hope that one day you can make a sound as great as the ones you’ve heard.

Originally published at sonhandoestwick.net on September 5, 2018.