This week In Jazz Legends 03/52
How well do you know the music of Gerry Mulligan’s breezy “Out Back of the Barn” pairs his warm baritone sax with Ben Webster’s swinging tenor for a relaxed cool jazz charm. Herbie Hancock’s “Air Dancing” thrives on live spontaneity with Buster Williams and Al Foster, while Miles Davis’s funk-tinged “Jean-Pierre” captures his 1981 comeback’s raw tension. Ornette Coleman’s “Turnaround” bends blues traditions, inspiring fresh takes like Dave Liebman’s funkier spin. Jean-Luc Ponty’s “Final Truth” blends ‘80s jazz fusion with polished synth textures, and Billy Cobham’s gritty “Brick Chicken” bridges fusion and funk with outright precision. “Sorceress” from Return to Forever storms through jazz-rock-funk elements, and Jason Moran reimagines “Fire Waltz” with sharp rhythmic twists. Eliane Elias infuses “Waltz for Debby” with Brazilian flair, Luka Loueke fuses jazz with African grooves on “Jumps The Blues,” and Charlie Hunter’s playful “St. Louis Blues” merges tradition with technical reinvention. Finally, Nels Cline and Fred Frith’s experimental guitar sessions ignite chaos and texture beyond convention.? Take our 12-track quiz.
