# Greatest Jazz Fusion Artists/Bands



## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

This list and its accompanying poll encompass what I believe to be the best artists/bands in the Jazz Fusion genre. And yes, this is yet another shameless and petty attempt to rank artists ... and a celebration of the best in the genre!


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I don't know about best but I don't consider Steely Dan a jazz rock fusion band. Miles had several different electric ensembles. The Dixie Dregs had very little jazz influence. It was much more of a classical/rock/country fusion. And Zappa and the Mothers also encompassed many different ensembles. I suppose the 73-74 band was the closest thing to jazz fusion. My personal favorites are Oregon, Tribal Tech, Holdworth, RTF, and Weather Report, which was also many different bands over the years. I favor the first half of the 70s for WR.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

I don't know them all but, even if I did my vote goes to Miles Davis .


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

starthrower said:


> I don't consider Steely Dan a jazz rock fusion band. The Dixie Dregs had very little jazz influence. It was much more of a classical/rock/country fusion.


Please make some recommendations. But all in all, you must admit that it is a pretty good list.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Solution
Kornet
New Pulse Jazz Band
United Jazz + Rock Ensemble
Collier and Dean
Curt Cress Clan
Passport

Apparently, you have a different definition of fusion jazz than any I've ever heard before.


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## Chibi Ubu (11 mo ago)

One can say that Miles Davis is Fusion? Of course, there's a period of his works that fit, but he was a lot more than that. I didn't much care for his work of that 'fusion' style. Too oblique, feels pretentious. Today he's raised to saint standard? Different strokes, I guess . There are artists listed here that I know nothing about. Guess I'll go hit Spotify when I get time...

I think I should have been able to vote for 5, 3 feels too narrow to me. It's an interesting poll, however. A well executed list with details can be found here:

*Progarchives Sub-genre Info*

This pollster's list is not a bad one. I cannot represent myself as the Grand Poobah of Fusion, however.


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## Chibi Ubu (11 mo ago)

starthrower said:


> I favor the first half of the 70s for WR.


Yep, me too. Here's a Top 100 album list prepared by voting results:
*Top 100 Fusion Albums*


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

Chibi Ubu said:


> One can say that Miles Davis is Fusion? Of course, there's a period of his works that fit, but he was a lot more than that. I didn't much care for his work of that 'fusion' style. Too oblique, feels pretentious. Today he's raised to saint standard? Different strokes, I guess . There are artists listed here that I know nothing about. Guess I'll go hit Spotify when I get time...
> 
> I think I should have been able to vote for 5, 3 feels too narrow to me. It's an interesting poll, however. A well executed list with details can be found here:
> 
> ...


I didn't know Kind of Blue was considered fusion. 

Anyway, Miles produced more than enough fusion albums to merit inclusion in the poll.

Bitches Brew
In a Silent Way
A Tribute to Jack Johnson
On the Corner
Get Up With It
Live-Evil
Pangaea
Agharta
Dark Magus


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Red Terror said:


> Please make some recommendations. But all in all, you must admit that it is a pretty good list.


Yeah, good list. I would also include John Scofield's mid to late 80s band, and his Uberjam band of the early 2000s. George Duke's MPS, and Columbia/ Epic albums. Oz Noy, Wayne Krantz, and Al Di Meola.


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## Jay (Jul 21, 2014)

Red Terror said:


> Please make some recommendations. But all in all, you must admit that it is a pretty good list.


For anyone interested, Stuart Nicholson's book "Jazz-Rock...." is worth it for the discography alone.





Jazz-Rock: A History by Stuart Nicholson


As interminably long and discouraging a time as the reign of jazz-rock seemed to serious jazz musicians of the late ’60s through the early ’80s, … Read More "Jazz-Rock: A History by Stuart Nicholson"




jazztimes.com


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## Ludwig Schon (10 mo ago)

The only great jazz fusion bands were Return to Forever and Weather Report. Allan Holdsworth, whom I adore, went from psyche, garage rock, improv, jazz, through a myriad of other forms. His only jazz fusion albums were with Gong & JL Ponty


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Red Terror said:


> Please make some recommendations. But all in all, you must admit that it is a pretty good list.


Admirable work, Red, my compliments - It's a tough gig - and a thankless one too as it is virtually impossible to please everyone and effortlessly possible to please no one.

It's a difficult concept to delineate the players into the kinds of categories which make projects of this sort viable.

Almost all of the names you've listed and some of those challenged by other members can be found on this list -



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_jazz_fusion_musicians



I would have added Brand X - Left off Steely Dan and Dixie Dregs entirely - and moved several to a different category.

If I may offer one suggestion - Give some thought to compiling a second poll - This one a (relatively) straightforward "Jazz Rock" poll - Add Chicago, BST, Chase, IF, Santana, etc.

You could begin with a "Selection" thread - Allow members to submit one name per day until you reach 25 names or allow two names per day per member but be prepared to do two polls in which the top 10 from each move to a Final - That makes 3 polls in total - I have no idea as to how ambitious you are - It's your call.

Again, my compliments - I "Liked" the first post - I know how discouraging it can be to expend the time and effort to create something of value and to not receive even a token acknowledgement for having done so.

Cheers...

One last note - I would lose the obscenity in the title - You don't need it - It's a bit rich coming from me as I use it every second post but one of us has to maintain some semblance of standards here.


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## Ludwig Schon (10 mo ago)

Shaughnessy said:


> Admirable work, Red, my compliments - It's a tough gig - and a thankless one too as it is virtually impossible to please everyone and effortlessly possible to please no one.
> 
> It's a difficult concept to delineate the players into the kinds of categories which make projects of this sort viable.
> 
> ...


Only an American would advance the 🤢🤮likes of Brand X...

If it’s wasn’t for the fact that you’re of Irish heritage, Shaughnessy… 🫣


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

Ludwig Schon said:


> Only an American would advance the 🤢🤮likes of Brand X...
> 
> If it’s wasn’t for the fact that you’re of Irish heritage, Shaughnessy… 🫣


I'm not "American" (although I do have dual-citizenship) - I was born in Dublin - The family emigrated to Chicago the year that I turned 14.

And I said that I would _add_ Brand X - I didn't say that I would necessarily _vote_ for them, _gobshite.._.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Brand X was a great band. I caught them at a club in 2017. I think they could have made more good records if they weren't signed to crappy labels. As it is they made four great albums and a few so so records.


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## Shaughnessy (Dec 31, 2020)

*A HISTORY OF JAZZ FUSION IN 30 ESSENTIAL ALBUMS*


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## AlexD (Nov 6, 2011)

Wot, no Prince and the New Power Generation? 

I caught a band called Ghost-Note at Ronnnie Scott's. They were very good.


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## Eva Yojimbo (Jan 30, 2016)

Great list. Very difficult to just pick 5. I went with Mahavishnu, Return to Forever, Weather Report, Holdsworth, and Miles.

Miles, to me, is the gold standard. I think all of his fusion albums are remarkable in their originality and diversity, and despite all falling under the same general label they all sound so radically different from each other: from the proto-ambient/minimalism of In a Silent Way, to the rich complexities of Bitches Brew, to the grooving hard rock of Jack Johnson, to the funk of On the Corner, to the exploratory tracks spread across various compilation albums (Get Up With It) and the live albums (Pangea and Agartha).

Holdsworth similarly I praise for his originality. As a guitarist his technical command was second to none, and wouldn't be equaled until a phenomenon like Shawn Lane came along decades later; but his harmonic command was even greater than his technical chops, and he made music that sounded incredibly alien because of it. His influence has been broad and perhaps incalculable on later guitarists, even finding its way into the solos of extreme metal bands like Meshuggah.

Mahavishnu, Weather Report, and Return to Forever are my other choices. All three very distinct, but all bands I think substantially elaborated on Miles's (mostly) innovations. 

For the others I'm familiar with, many I wouldn't classify as fusion. Zappa was incredibly versatile that while he does have some music that qualifies as fusion it's not the bulk of his output. Steely Dan were more a melting pot of pop, R&B, blues, smooth rock, but with some jazz-influenced chords, progressions, and occasionally playing... but they largely eschewed improvisation that's at the heart of most jazz, so despite being one of my favorite bands in any genre I didn't vote for them. Jeff Beck similarly is more rock than fusion, though I might say his more recent work has arguably been closer to fusion. I'm not terribly familiar with it outside the live clips I've seen. Dixie Dregs also seemed to not be much jazz influenced.


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## NoCoPilot (Nov 9, 2020)

Red Terror said:


> Miles produced more than enough fusion albums to merit inclusion in the poll.


I know I'll be in the minority here, but I really don't consider Miles's electric period to be fusion. I know he said he could put together "the best [expletive] rock & roll band in the world" but I don't think, as a 1940s jazz player, he really knew what he was talking about. Especially since the releases of the unedited sessions, it's apparent he was simply continuing the modal improvisations over a static bed that he introduced with "In A Silent Way." He changed the backing to some musicians with rock cred and a harder sound, but it was still just modal jazz.

To my mind "fusion" has to have structural elements of two or more genres.


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

My votes went to 

Mahavishnu Orchestra
Return to Forever
Weather Report
Shakti
Miles Davis

Major miss from the list is Herbie Hancock's sextet and Rocket bands. Miles invented Jazz Fusion with his '70s bands. He fused Jazz with Funk, and World musics.


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## Ludwig Schon (10 mo ago)

Shaughnessy said:


> I'm not "American" (although I do have dual-citizenship) - I was born in Dublin - The family emigrated to Chicago the year that I turned 14.
> 
> And I said that I would _add_ Brand X - I didn't say that I would necessarily _vote_ for them, _gobshite.._.


Being from the Pale is hardly Irish.

I wouldn’t consider U2 to be Irish. 

They’re mere West Brits to my arrogant Corkonian eyes…


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

SanAntone said:


> My votes went to
> 
> Mahavishnu Orchestra
> Return to Forever
> ...


Yeah, major miss indeed.


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## Snowbrain (Oct 5, 2020)

Miles started and sustained fusion jazz longer than anyone. Also, where’s Brand X, the phenomenal fusion band of Phil Collins? And where are John Zorn’s various fusion bands such as Naked City? There have got to be dozens of other great fusion bands out there now that no one is thinking of… and fa christ sakes - why isn’t Herbie Hancock in the original list????


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## MJSeka (May 31, 2019)

I voted, and would like to add Chick Corea, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock.


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## Rosalind Ellicott (May 21, 2020)

Red Terror said:


> This list and its accompanying poll encompass what I believe to be the best artists/bands in the Jazz Fusion genre. And yes, this is yet another shameless and petty attempt to rank artists ... and a celebration of the best in the genre!


It depends on your taste and your definition of fusion. I have to admit that I find a lot of those you've listed to be tedious: soulless and technical. Light as a Feather (Chick Corea & Return to Forever feat Flora Purim) is a favourite of mine though. I'll have a think about some others.


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## Rosalind Ellicott (May 21, 2020)

Ludwig Schon said:


> Only an American would advance the 🤢🤮likes of Brand X...
> 
> If it’s wasn’t for the fact that you’re of Irish heritage, Shaughnessy… 🫣


I'm English and quite like Brand X. Earth Dance used to get played on the jazz clubbing scene in the 80s and 90s.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Rosalind Ellicott said:


> I'm English and quite like Brand X. Earth Dance used to get played on the jazz clubbing scene in the 80s and 90s.


Written by the late Morris Pert. To my ears Masques contains some of their strongest material.


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## Ludwig Schon (10 mo ago)

One of my favourite Jazz supergroups that no one seems to ever mention was Circle. Braxton, Correa, Holland & Altschul. Live in Paris is phenomenal… Chick left cause’ it was too weird and he wanted to pick up 900 Grammys for garbage


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## Chibi Ubu (11 mo ago)

Shaughnessy said:


> *A HISTORY OF JAZZ FUSION IN 30 ESSENTIAL ALBUMS*


It just goes to show that no matter who builds these kinds of lists will result in agreement & disagreement


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## Red Terror (Dec 10, 2018)

Ludwig Schon said:


> One of my favourite Jazz supergroups that no one seems to ever mention was Circle. Braxton, Correa, Holland & Altschul. Live in Paris is phenomenal… Chick left cause’ it was too weird and he wanted to pick up 900 Grammys for garbage
> View attachment 168463


This is free jazz, not fusion. The genre is hit or miss for me but this album is a jewel.


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