Much of the instrumentation in Incognito’s music relates to jazz, through the use of horns (brass and woodwind instruments). At the same time, they use these types of chords in shorter sequences more like the 4 or 8-bar forms that you might find in funk or soul music. Much of the harmony in Incognito’s music uses extensions of basic chords, such as 7ths, 9ths and 13ths, much like the types of chords used in jazz music. In music performed by Incognito we can hear elements of jazz, funk and soul (and sometimes Latin styles such as samba and bossa nova). Watch videos with session musicians and Rock & Pop examiner Tom Fleming and session musician Harry the Piano for tips and ideas on how to improvise in a reggae style: Often it really is about following your ear and your instincts, but it can also open up a world of exciting new musical ideas. Whether creating a fusion of styles or a prescribed particular fusion, the key is to understand the characteristics of whichever styles are appropriate, how to identify their relevance to any accompanying music and then how to fuse these aspects successfully. It’s important when creating both accompaniment and lead-style solos (melodies) to understand the implications of these extensions and what the chord-scale relationship is, particularly for singers. However, on top of this, the harmony will usually feature ‘jazz’ type chords with extensions such as ‘maj7’ or ‘7’ (dominant 7th). The instruction ‘jazz funk’ often means that drummers should play in a more funk-orientated style, with backbeat and heavy kick-drum, as opposed to swing rhythms featuring the ride cymbal. Therefore it’s likely that if creating an accompaniment-type improvisation in the style, you will need to think about following the rhythmic patterns referenced in a Latin-type style, but with the laid-back, groove feeling of soul music. At the same time, fusions which refer to soul often reference soul styles of singing and soul timbres/instrumentation. Fusion styles including Latin often reference the ‘two’ side of a bossa nova groove, and may also feature part or all of claves and rhythms common to Latin styles, such as the partido alto. You can quickly identify which aspects of the two styles are appropriate to the backing track provided, allowing you to implement these ideas successfully.įor example, if the style given says ‘Latin soul’, it is likely that the piece is performed with a ‘straight’ feel.You understand the various characteristics of both styles (see previous blog posts on jazz, funk, latin and soul).In the Trinity Rock & Pop improvising session skills section (and, more importantly, the real world), you may come along instructions to play in a style which is a fusion of specific genres. Despite being largely Latin-based music, most songs were sung in English, in an attempt to appeal to the English-speaking American population. It has, however, remained a popular style and is often used in film music and sampled in contemporary music. Mixing the rhythms of Cuban music with jazz and salsa, alongside elements of soul singing and simple forms, Latin soul hasn’t developed much over the decades. The genre reflects the eclectic mix of Latin influences in the city, with the typical jazz harmony and structure of the time. Latin soul is a fusion style created in the melting pot of New York in the 1960s. The early 1990s in particular saw a surge in popularity for a version of jazz funk called ‘acid jazz’ (named after a record label which hosted a large proportion of jazz funk acts). British groups adopted the style, with bands like Incognito, James Taylor Quartet and Jamiroquai emerging throughout the 1980s and 90s. It also led to jazz incorporating electric instruments into the ensemble sound, such as electric bass, the Fender Rhodes keyboard, Moog synthesisers and guitar effects. This style often fuses the harmonic and improvisational characteristics of jazz with heavy grooves and repetitive forms of funk. Jazz funk is one of the many off-shoots of jazz, initially emerging in the 1970s through the work of pioneers such as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock, and it is still popular today. So, in this post we’re going to take a look at two popular fusions of styles: jazz funk and Latin soul. In the Trinity Rock & Pop syllabus and exams, there are specific fusions which may come up in the improvising session skills section. By JJ Wheeler – musician, teacher and record producerįusion is a very broad term used for types of music which fuse two or more styles together in a strong coalition to create a fusion of the genres.
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