Enchanting Improvisation: Landmark Works and Popular Albums of Free Jazz

music writerKOH-1
Started working as a music writer as a side job while employed at a record shop, and for over 18 years I’ve contributed to music magazines, disc guide books, mooks, and web media. As a writer my main field is Western music, but as a listener for over 35 years, I always try to keep my curiosity alive with the motto “I like what I like.” I have experience playing in bands, where I was a bassist who handled songwriting and composition. Instruments I’ve played include bass, guitar, and piano. I began studying English in my mid-40s and continue to do so today.

For example, works that attempted completely different styles or methods from existing classical music came to be called modern music, and there’s a genre called post-rock that developed approaches different from standard rock styles—there are many subgenres within any given genre.

Free jazz, true to the term, is a genre newly born within the umbrella of jazz, characterized by avant-garde methodologies and freaky, free-form improvisation.

This time, we’ve selected a representative album and some popular works that are labeled as free jazz.

It’s by no means music that will appeal to everyone, but if you’re interested, please take this opportunity to give it a try!