Country/Americana and Jazz - That's Where It's At?

Lately, I've been reflecting on my goals as an artist and a musician. I have dipped my feet into all styles of music including rock, hip-hop, pop, R&B, heavy metal, reggae, ska, etc. As a songwriter, the songs I've been recently writing have fallen under the category of Americana/Folk/Singer-Songwriter. I am happy with the music I've been making, but at the same time I feel there is so much more music in me that's looking to evolve, grow and come alive. With that said, I am looking to collaborate more with other musicians and songwriters, being open to different styles and genres, doing whatever is necessary to fit my own unique style into the music.

I also recently went to see a pre-screening of the new Miles Davis film Miles Ahead, directed, written and starring Don Cheadle. I enjoyed this film very much, and without giving too much away, the film gave me what I did not expect, and I mean that in the best way possible. I highly recommend the film. Go see it.

After the film was shown, Don Cheadle and Ewan McGregor (flim co-star) did a Q&A. It was very interesting to hear them talk about how they approached making this film, a labor of love that has been 8 years in the making. Again, I won't say too much because I do not wish to give anything away.

I will say that one of the statements Cheadle made was that Miles Davis was always an artist of the present. Davis was also evolving and moving forward. And this is true. Miles Davis' career spanded over the course about 4 decades because his sound was always relevant to the present, whether is was going electric or experimenting with funk, hip-hop and 80s production keyboards and synthesizers.

This got me thinking, what is now? Where is happening right now in music? My conclusion is that it seems to me that the two styles of music that are the most happening and forward thinking right now, musically, is Country/Americana and Jazz.

Right now, jazz is hitting a new booming renaissance, not only because of its musical evolution, but because of it's recognition by the public, and the catalyst of this new wave of popular jazz music is Kendrick Lamar. His record To Pimp A Butterfly has been considered a masterpiece of hip-hop, incorporating elements of funk, neo-soul, jazz and R&B. Jazz musicians such as Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, and Robert 'Sput' Searight all made significant contributions to this record. Personally, this was my favorite album of 2015, and the first album to blow my mind since I heard Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys back in 2009.

Right now, jazz has evolved to something even more profound without being pretentious or presumptuous. Current jazz has incorporated with elements of hip-hop, neo-soul, and even classical and electronica. What makes this is more important is that it is being recognized by the public. Only in the past few years have Snarky Puppy garnered more attention and critical acclaim for their uncompromising brand of jazz fusion, with insane live performance, and writing some of the best music ever heard in this generation.

There's also the UK jazz trio Gogo Penguin, who are moving jazz forward by incorporating elements of classical and electronica, creating music that is both pleasantly atmospheric and interesting.

Kamasi Washington released the best jazz album of 2015 The Epic, a nearly 3 hour long jazz odyssey. This album pretty much defines the current generation of jazz.

Then you have jazz vocalists like Melody Gardot, Esperanza Spalding and Gregory Porter, who are incorporating more non-traditional jazz styles in the songs they write. Gardot recently has used more blues and R&B leanings in her songs a-la Dusty Springfield. Esperanza has been experimenting with more progressive rock and fusion sounds in her music. Gregory Porter takes the traditions of classic jazz and gives them a more classic soulful edge, while still incorporating elements of improvisation and jazz phrasing while never running away from the song.

Some of the best jazz music has been coming out of ropeadope records, with artists such as Snarky Puppy, Christian Scott, Terrace Martin, Claffy, Nuf Said, Nigel Hall, Sidewalk Chalk, and Tacuma Bradley's Unity Band. The last artist I listed is my favorite. It is the perfect combination of jazz/hip-hop. Check it out if you get the chance!

Then there's Jacob Collier!! HOLY SHIT!! He basically does everything these artists do times 200. He uses folk, he uses R&B, he uses fusion, he uses classical. A 21 year jazz prodigy, this kid is definitely leading the path to take jazz to its greatest heights. He is moving jazz forward in a way that no one else has done before, past and present If you don't know him, you have to!! His debut album comes out in July and it will not disappoint.



Moving to Country/Americana, while it seems like may there is nothing new that has evolved musically in the genre, what has been happening is the return of great songwriters, singers and musicians. Artists like Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Andrew Combs, Rhiannon Giddens, Amy Helm, John Moreland, Kurt Vile and Dawes have been recording some of the best music coming out of Nashville and other places. And at the heart of this scene is producer Dave Cobb, who produced both critically acclaimed albums Traveller by Chris Stapleton and Something More Than Free by Jason Isbell, both #1 Country albums and Top 10 Billboard albums: #1 and #7, respectively.


These artists are taking the older traditions of country music and reinventing it for the present. Kacey Musgraves writes very profound yet fun and emotional songs with a lot of heart and wit. John Moreland writes greatly heart-wrenching songs that can leave and immense impact because the songs contain messages that everyone relates to. Jason Isbell tells great stories with intelligent and thoughtful lyrics.
These artists are not only critically acclaimed, but they are getting more and more recognized by the general public.

Plus, Country/Americana is also incorporating more elements of soul, blues, gospel and old school rock and roll. The performances of these artists feel genuine and authentic. They lay their soul on the line and express themselves though their songs and their instruments. If you want more of my opinion on this, check out my post about country music - what is crap and what isn't.

At this point, it seems like the current pop music getting tired out. We still have the same pop artists we've had for the last 5 years and the newer more commercial pop artists aren't making that great of an impact. Hell, even the big new pop artists are not really being played on the radio, and the music itself while still catchy is stylistically not Top 40 friends. Artist like James Bay, Selena Gomez and Carly Rae Jepsen are making more interesting pop music without attempting to sound commercial in either the production nor the songwriting, to an extent. But with that acknowledgement, it seems that the current state of pop music is dying out, slowly but surely, making way for better more musically interesting artists to take the reign.

Jazz and Country/Americana are where it's at right now. Musically, it is now, and the general public is beginning to take notice. And one thing is for sure, I will be there as the music continues to evolve and gain more recognition.