Modern Jazz: Technology's Impact

I have always thought of myself as an individual who doesn't really fit into any sub-culture. Conservative, Liberal, Jock, Hipster, etc.: not one of these categories seem to perfectly sum up who I am as an individual. Even my sense of style doesn't fit into a specific category. The only label that I will agree with (but not limit myself to) is that I am a jazz modern jazz musician. With jazz being such a diverse form of music that is constantly expanding it almost defies definition. This in turn is a reflection of the actual persons that the jazz culture is composed of. The characteristic that is central to jazz music is improvisation. Generally, jazz musicians value the technique of improvisation more than any other and it is present in their music. They also have a profound amount of respect for the jazz musicians that came before them spending countless hours listening, imitating and practicing. It's quite common that jazz musicians will hold jam sessions at their houses or clubs with other musicians - many times playing with other musicians that they have never met nor played with before. Other than that, there is a large amount of diversity within the community. Black, Caucasian, Hispanic, etc.; anyone of any race is capable of being a jazz musician and like most cultures, jazz music has been impacted heavily by advancements in technology.


One of the results of these advancements was the invention of various electronic keyboards during the mid 1950s to the early 1970s. During this era many keyboards were produced; the most famous being the Wurlitzer Electronic Keyboard, the Fender Rhodes, the Minimoog and the Hohner D6 Clavinet. Many jazz musicians began using experimenting with these instruments in the late 1960s, such as Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. These experiments led to the development of a sub-genre of jazz known today as fusion. In addition to fusion, these keyboards are employed in modern jazz by such artists as Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau, the jazz sextet One for All and others. I plan on further examining how exactly the use of these instruments came to be used in the jazz field and how they have affected the composition/performance of jazz musicians since.