is an umbrella term coined in the late 1990s to refer to music styles that blend jazz textures and sometimes jazz instrumentation, funk, electronic dance music, and free improvisation. Also written nu-jazz or NuJazz, it is sometimes called electronic jazz, electro-jazz, e-jazz, jazztronica, jazz house, phusion, or future jazz. " Nu Jazz is to (traditional) Jazz what punk or grunge was to Rock.The songs are the focus, not the individual prowess of the musicians. Nu Jazz instrumentation ranges from the traditional to the experimental, the melodies are fresh, and the rhythms new and alive. It makes Jazz fun again. " -- Tony Brewer
Historically, Jazz music has incorporated electronic instruments in production even as early as Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. In the early 90s, jazz music began to embrace production of music with electronic instruments, thereby fusing together a traditional and modern sound, and thus emerging Nu Jazz onto the electronic music scene. The sound of Nu Jazz can be described as jazz music with a slow tempo from about 65-100 B.P.M. generally alongside an ambient beat, and usually little to no vocals are involved. Nu Jazz music rhythms and melodies can often be repetitive in nature. Nu Jazz can also be referred to as Jazz Fusion or Electro-Jazz.
Like the terms electronica and jazz, nu jazz is a loosely defined umbrella musical style. It ranges from combining live instrumentation with beats of jazz house (exemplified by the French St Germain, the German Jazzanova and Fila Brazillia from the UK) to more band-based improvised jazz with electronic elements (such as that of the The Cinematic Orchestra from the UK, the Belgian PhusionCulture, Mexican duo Kobol, nu jazz improvisation collective, the Norwegian "future jazz" style (although that term originates from New Zealand in the early 1990s) pioneered by Bugge Wesseltoft, Jaga Jazzist, Nils Petter Molvær, and others). It is a term sometimes ascribed to Squarepusher's music.
Nu jazz typically ventures farther into the electronic territory than does its close cousin, acid jazz (or groove jazz), which is generally closer to earthier funk, soul, and rhythm and blues, although releases from noted groove jazz artists such as the Groove Collective and Chris Hale blur the distinction between the styles.
Nu jazz can be very experimental in nature and can vary widely in sound and concept. The sound, unlike its cousin Acid Jazz, departs from its blues roots and instead explores electronic sounds and ethereal jazz sensualities. Nu Jazz “is the music itself and not the individual dexterity of the musicians.” Often, Nu Jazz blends elements of traditional Jazz texture with that of modern electronic music and free improvisation, thus, the music can truly evolve into a multitude of sounds and can vary greatly artist to artist.
American Nu Jazz
Nu Jazz is often described as “avant-garde” because it does not follow any rules or specific qualities like consistent rhythm or scales found in more traditional forms of jazz. Instead, Nu Jazz can vary greatly from one artist to another, and can feature broken rhythms, atonal harmonies, and improvised melody. Artist like Matthew Shipp and Ornette Coleman often demonstrate styles coined as “jazztronica” or "electro-jazz" because the style of jazz is offbeat from the more traditional forms.
European Nu Jazz
While still embracing the traditional forms of Jazz, pianist Bugge Wesseltoft and trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær are known for their improvisational nu jazz style.
The Cinematic Orchestra is also known for incorporating a traditional jazz band while fusing electronic elements into their music production.
Artist St. Germain (musician), purveyor of nu jazz music, has sold 1.5 million copies of his Tourist album, thus making it the top-selling jazz album in the United States.
Nu Jazz in the club scene
Nu Jazz is increasingly more vibrant among young generations as the music is being heard more and more in the club environment. Larger cities like Boston, New York and San Francisco have emerged electronic jazz clubs. In New York, SoHo lofts have been transformed into experimental Nu Jazz studios where recording is produced in three to six hour spans.
Thirsty Ear is a record label which emerges many Nu Jazz artists and often associated with the genre for that reason. Some of the Nu Jazz artists include William Parker, Antipop Consortium, Tim Berne, Meat Beat Manifesto, Sex Mobb, Nils Petter Molvaer, Matthew Shipp, Craig Taborn, DJ Spooky, Spring Heel jack, and DJ Wally.
Nu Jazz is also often associated with Ninja Tune, as the majority of Nu Jazz artists are often signed with this music label. Artists signed to Ninja Tune include The Cinematic Orchestra, Funki Porcini, The Herbaliser, Jaga Jazzist, Pest (music), Skalpel, Up, Bustle and Out.
