Jazz-Rock

Jazz-rock on vinyl: improvisation with amplifiers

In short: Since the late sixties jazz-rock has combined the improvisation of jazz with the rhythms, volume and electric guitars of rock. The term overlaps heavily with fusion; in Europe a scene of its own developed with bands such as Soft Machine and Nucleus. The Vinyl Room currently has 63 jazz-rock records, many of them from the seventies.

What is jazz-rock?

Sometimes it comes from jazz, sometimes from rock: Carlos Santana recorded “Illuminations” with Alice Coltrane in 1974, producer David Axelrod mixed jazz, rock and orchestra, and rock bands added horns to their line-ups.

Europe had its own voices: from Denmark the band Ariel with “Solens Børn”, from the Netherlands Finch, from Germany guitarist Toto Blanke. Plus saxophonist Steve Grossman, who played with Miles Davis.

What to look for

With seventies European jazz-rock it pays to look at label and country of origin; there are also later reissues. What is original and what is reissue is noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

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FAQ

What is jazz-rock? Jazz improvisation with rock rhythms, electric guitar and lots of energy, born in the late sixties.

Is jazz-rock the same as fusion? Almost – the terms overlap heavily; fusion also covers combinations of jazz with funk and other styles.

Is there jazz-rock from Denmark? Yes – here, for example, the band Ariel with “Solens Børn”.

What is “Illuminations”? A 1974 album by Carlos Santana with Alice Coltrane.