Start here first! Classic jazz-rock masterpieces. Recommended popular tracks.

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.

“Jazz rock” is, literally, a crossover music genre that fuses jazz and rock, and abroad it’s also referred to as a subgenre of jazz fusion.

There are works by innovative musicians from the jazz side that take a rock-oriented approach, as well as sounds by rock and progressive bands and artists that incorporate jazzy elements, so it’s not a genre with strictly defined boundaries.

In this article, we’ve carefully selected and highlighted a number of classic tracks by renowned bands and artists associated with jazz rock.

Of course the songs themselves are fantastic, but be sure to remember the names of the musicians involved as well!

Start Here First! Jazz-Rock Masterpieces: Recommended Popular Tracks (21–30)

Darker Brightergirugamesh

Gilgamesh – Darker Brighter

Darker Brightergirugamesh

Gilgamesh is a British band formed in 1972, centered around Alan Gowen.

“Darker Brighter” is a track included on the 1978 album “Another Fine Tune You’ve Got Me Into.”

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CalyxHatfield & The North

Calyx

CalyxHatfield & The North

Hatfield and the North is a British band formed in 1972, which disbanded in 1975 but reunited in 2005.

“Calyx” is a track from the 1974 album “Hatfield and the North.”

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A Watery KentuckyGastr del Sol

Gastr del Sol – A Watery Kentucky

A Watery KentuckyGastr del Sol

Gastr del Sol was an American band formed around David Grubbs that was active until 1998.

“A Watery Kentucky” is a track from their 1993 debut album, The Serpentine Similar.

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Punk SandwichDixie Dregs

Dixie Dregs, “Punk Sandwich”

Punk SandwichDixie Dregs

Dixie Dregs is an American band formed by classmates at the University of Miami’s School of Music.

“Punk Sandwich” is included on the Grammy-nominated album Night of the Living Dregs.

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The dream I saw that dayamefurashi karutetto

Amefurashi Quartet “The Dream We Saw That Day”

The dream I saw that dayamefurashi karutetto

Amefurashi Quartet is a Japanese jazz-rock band formed in 2004.

Although the name includes “Quartet,” the group currently has five members.

“Ano Hi Mita Yume” is included on their 2016 album “Haisui no Shin.”

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