Avant-garde Jazz

Avant-garde jazz on vinyl: jazz on a voyage of discovery

In short: Avant-garde jazz is the umbrella term for jazz that looks for new paths – freely improvised, with unusual sounds and influences from contemporary classical music, soul and spirituality. It runs from Archie Shepp and Wayne Shorter in the seventies to the young scene in Chicago. The Vinyl Room currently has 80 avant-garde jazz records.

What is avant-garde jazz?

It is closely related to free jazz but more open: on “Attica Blues” from 1972 Archie Shepp combines the avant-garde with soul, gospel and political anger, Wayne Shorter paints wide soundscapes on “Odyssey Of Iska” from 1971, and Leon Thomas sings with a yodel technique.

From Denmark come saxophonist Carsten Meinert with “To You” and drummer Stefan Pasborg with “The Firebirds”. Today musicians such as Angel Bat Dawid and the Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble from Chicago shape the style.

What to look for

Besides originals from the sixties and seventies, many new recordings come out today in small vinyl runs. Whether original, reissue or new release is noted with each copy.

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FAQ

What is avant-garde jazz? An umbrella term for experimental jazz beyond fixed forms.

What is the difference from free jazz? The boundaries are fluid: free jazz breaks away above all from fixed chord sequences and metre; avant-garde jazz is broader and often mixes in soul, contemporary classical music or spirituality.

Is there avant-garde jazz from Denmark? Yes – here, for example, from Carsten Meinert and Stefan Pasborg.

Who shapes the style today? Among others Angel Bat Dawid and the Damon Locks Black Monument Ensemble from Chicago.