Contemporary Jazz Masterpieces | A Selection of Classics, Old and New!
Contemporary jazz is a general term for jazz that encompasses smooth jazz and fusion.
Literally, it means “modern jazz,” but even jazz from the 1940s can fall under contemporary jazz, which may make it hard for some people to picture what it is.
This time, for those people, we’ve picked out classic contemporary jazz tracks spanning a wide range of eras.
Many of the songs are catchy, so even those who aren’t well-versed in jazz should be able to enjoy them.
Please relax and enjoy reading to the end.
Contemporary Jazz Masterpieces: A Curated Mix of Classics and New Gems (1–10)
Loud JazzJohn Scofield
A masterpiece noted for its polish, “Loud Jazz” slips through complex, odd time signatures without ever feeling awkward.
It’s a track released in 1988 by jazz guitarist John Scofield.
Music that blends various genres—such as R&B and rock—on a jazz foundation is called fusion.
The album of the same name that includes “Loud Jazz” is also regarded as a classic of fusion and remains a fan favorite.
It’s a track where you can savor John Scofield’s precise guitar playing.
West End BluesLouis Armstrong
West End Blues, a jazz masterpiece whose mellow trumpet tone makes you want to surrender yourself to it.
The version performed by the trumpet virtuoso Louis Armstrong is well known and is one of his signature pieces.
The composer of this tune was Joe “King” Oliver, Louis Armstrong’s mentor.
The ensemble’s cheerful timbre evokes, somehow, an afternoon moment spent in a foreign land.
What You Won’t Do for LoveBobby Caldwell
Bobby Caldwell, a representative singer of the AOR genre that was popular from the 1970s into the 1980s.
AOR stands for Adult Oriented Rock, meaning music crafted with mature themes and melodies.
His song “What You Won’t Do for Love” is one of Caldwell’s signature works—straightforward yet exuding an adult atmosphere, and evocative of catchy contemporary jazz.
Under Northern LightsKeiko Matsui
Keiko Matsui is one of Japan’s leading jazz pianists.
A prominent figure in contemporary jazz, she became the first Japanese artist to reach No.
1 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart in 2001.
Among her works, a standout I especially recommend is Under Northern Lights.
It’s a distinctive album that plays smooth-jazz-like melodies at a very slow tempo.
Be sure to check it out.
Give Me the NightGeorge Benson
George Benson, a jazz pianist from Pennsylvania.
He has produced a great many crossover works that blend jazz with pop music and neo-soul, and his broad musicality has had a major impact on contemporary jazz from the 1950s to the present.
His track Give Me the Night is widely acclaimed as one of his masterpieces, a piece of contemporary jazz with a neo-soul feel, distinguished by its bouncy bassline.
King Porter StompJelly Roll Morton
“King Porter Stomp” is a jazz standard composed by Jelly Roll Morton, who is said to be the originator of stomp jazz.
The pianist Jelly created a genre within jazz known as “stomp.” The word “stomp” literally means to stamp your feet.
True to its name, stomp jazz features a lively, foot-stomping feel.
While the piano is an instrument capable of producing beautiful melodies, it is also a percussion instrument, so it can at times generate a light, driving rhythm.
A-Tisket, A-TasketElla Fitzgerald
This song, sung by the Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald, is the American nursery rhyme “A-Tisket, A-Tasket.” Interestingly, it has origins connected to the game often played in Japan known as “Hankachi Otoshi” (the handkerchief drop game), for which it was originally sung.
When Ella Fitzgerald arranged it into a jazz version, it became explosively popular and was the song that first brought her widespread recognition.
It’s a charming classic that retains the playful feel of a children’s game song.