Fusion (music)

Fusion (music)

A fusion genre is music that combines two or more styles. For example, rock and roll originally developed as a fusion of blues, gospel and country music. The main characteristics of fusion genres are variations in tempo, rhythm, and is sometimes the use of long musical "journeys" that can be divided into smaller parts, each with their own dynamics, style and tempo. "Fusion" used alone often refers to jazz fusion.

Artists who work in fusion genres are often difficult to categorize within non-fusion styles, primarily because most genres evolved out of other genres. These artists generally consider themselves part of both genres. For example, a musician that plays predominantly blues influenced by rock is often labelled a blues-rock musician, such as Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Vaughan, a Texas blues guitarist, used rock and blues together. Ray Charles, who recorded gospel and jazz-influenced blues, created what would become known as Soul Music. By fusing the two genres, Charles pioneered the style of country soul, most famously on his landmark album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, and influenced similar efforts by Candi Staton and Solomon Burke. Another example of fusion music can be heard in the Middle Eastern-influenced Franco-Arabic music as personified by Aldo. Franco-Arabic music uses a blend of Arabic and many western styles, from rock to pop, and from Euro styles to folk music. Jie Ma blends traditional Chinese instruments (pipa and ruan) and Western and jazz compositions.

Fusion music as a genre broadened the definitions of jazz, rock, and pop music. Herbie Hancock fused jazz, funk, rock, and smooth tones to accomplish a new, rounder, more cultured sound for his band. See Head Hunters or Thrust. These sounds generally consisted of a standard rhythm section: bass, drums, and sometimes guitar, with layered keyboard tracks of rhodes, strings, clavinet, organ and synthesizers. Atop all of this, sampling was introduced as well as new technologies such as the talk box, or vocator. Bands such as Brand-X and Return To Forever as well as musicians such as John Abercrombie and Jack DeJohnette are also in this category.