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modern jazz

modern jazz

3 3.6
A style of jazz with complex chords and rhythms where musicians make up music as they play
  • noun
  • /ˈmɒdərn dʒæz/
translation icon : jazz moderno
  • The concert showcased legendary artists who have shaped the sound of modern jazz over the decades.
  • modern jazz music
  • classical music with modern jazz

Examples

  • Looking like he had just remembered something he meant to say, Sammy told the students about Art Tatum, that all of modern jazz sprang from the ideas of Tatum's piano.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Bazley is best recognized as a veteran New Orleans modern jazz drummer who has played with many of the greats.

    Blog text (25)
  • Well, it concerns itself with modern jazz and other forms of popular music.

  • You'll hear that in modern jazz sometimes really hit players.

  • Modern jazz.

  • Modern jazz is piped in through ceiling-mounted speakers...

    Fiction book (2000)
  • She notices several modern jazz LPs on Joe's table.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • P. A. Russell's 1987 results indicate that preferred pieces of modern jazz are those that sound familiar to listeners and have pleasing melodies.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Charlie Christian's recorded work with Benny Goodman in the late 1930s and early '40s continues to be the yardstick by which all modern jazz guitar improvisation is measured.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Miles Davis is often regarded as a pivotal figure in modern jazz due to his innovative approach to improvisation.

Synonyms

new jazz
vsmodern jazz
1 6.7

Jazz music after 1940 that uses new ideas and different forms

focuses on complex harmonies, rhythms, and improvisation rather than general innovation
neo jazz
vsmodern jazz
5.7

A style of music that mixes jazz with modern sounds like electronic music

emphasizes advanced harmonies and rhythmic complexity instead of blending traditions

How Modern

new jazz
1 6.7
modern jazz
3 3.6
bebop
16 8.2
swing
60 4.8

Surface Forms

modern jazz singular
modern jazes plural

Morphology

modern + jazz

The noun phrase 'modern jazz' is compositionally built from 'modern' (contemporary) modifying 'jazz' (the music genre), so its meaning as a contemporary/style-based variety of jazz is directly derivable. This adjective+noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the expression.

Etymology

Modern jazz comes from musicians after World War II who wanted a modern or 'new' way to play jazz, often in small clubs where they used more complex rhythms and long, creative solos. So modern jazz now means the style of jazz that moved away from older dance music to more adventurous, complex playing.