Jazz

Vocal jazz, swing/big band, bebop/hard bop, cool, modal/spiritual, fusion, soul jazz, Latin & Afro-Cuban, bossa nova, smooth, free/avant-garde, third stream, gypsy jazz, nu jazz, lo-fi, jazz rap, ragtime/stride, gospel jazz. (tree: MUS-124)

30 families448 sub-genres

Click a family to fan out its sub-genres · dashed = cross-listed

1Vocal Jazz / Standards / Crooner Jazz

The most listener-friendly jazz doorway: singers, standards, romantic phrasing, swing feel, piano trio backing, big-band support, torch songs, and classic songbook material.

Vocal Jazz

Jazz Standards

Great American Songbook Jazz

Contemporary Vocal Jazz

Vocal Jazz / Standards / Crooner Jazz

The most listener-friendly jazz doorway: singers, standards, romantic phrasing, swing feel, piano trio backing, big-band support, torch songs, and classic songbook material.

Vocal Jazz Jazz Standards Great American Songbook Jazz Crooner Jazz Jazz Torch Song Scat Singing Vocalese Swing Vocal Jazz Big Band Vocal Jazz Jazz-Pop Vocal Traditional Pop Jazz Cabaret Jazz Lounge Vocal Jazz Soulful Vocal Jazz Contemporary Vocal Jazz

Smooth / Contemporary Jazz

The broad modern jazz-listener bucket: polished sax, clean production, melodic improvisation, R&B harmony, adult-contemporary textures, and accessible instrumental hooks.

Smooth Jazz Contemporary Jazz Contemporary Instrumental Jazz Smooth Sax Jazz Smooth Guitar Jazz Smooth Piano Jazz Urban Contemporary Jazz Quiet Storm Jazz Adult Contemporary Jazz Smooth Jazz-Funk Smooth Latin Jazz Smooth Bossa Jazz Smooth Fusion New Adult Jazz Dinner Jazz

Swing / Big Band Jazz

The big recognizable classic jazz family: danceable rhythm, horn sections, arranged riffs, walking bass, section interplay, ballroom energy, and large-ensemble power.

Swing Jazz Big Band Jazz Classic Swing Dance Band Jazz Ballroom Jazz Kansas City Swing New York Swing Harlem Swing Jump Swing Vocal Swing Big Band Vocal Jazz Hot Swing Modern Swing Revival Neo-Swing Large Ensemble SwingKansas City Jazz

Bebop / Hard Bop / Straight-Ahead Jazz

The core jazz-club family: fast lines, complex harmony, small groups, improvisational virtuosity, walking bass, ride cymbal, and horn-led heads.

Bebop Bop Hard Bop Straight-Ahead Jazz Mainstream Jazz Modern Jazz Small Group Jazz Jazz Quintet Jazz Quartet Horn Combo Jazz Saxophone Bop Trumpet Bop Bluesy Hard Bop Soulful Hard Bop Post-Bop

Cool Jazz / West Coast / Chamber Jazz

A more relaxed, refined, arranged, and lighter-toned branch of modern jazz: subtler tone colors, slower vibrato, softer drumming, and restrained interaction.

Cool Jazz West Coast Jazz Chamber Jazz Birth-of-the-Cool Lane Arranged Small-Group Jazz Light Modern Jazz Pastel-Tone Jazz Cool Bop Cool Vocal Jazz Cool Piano Jazz Cool Big Band West Coast Swing Jazz Cool Bossa Jazz Third Stream Cool

Latin Jazz / Afro-Cuban Jazz

The home for jazz with Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, Latin American, clave-based, and percussion-forward languages.

Latin Jazz Afro-Cuban Jazz Cubop Mambo Jazz Rumba Jazz Cha-Cha Jazz Salsa Jazz Cuban Big Band Jazz Afro-Caribbean Jazz Latin Jazz Piano Latin Jazz Percussion Latin Jazz Fusion Latin Jazz Vocal Latin Smooth Jazz Latin Jazz Rock

Bossa Nova / Brazilian Jazz

One of the most globally recognizable jazz-adjacent families: soft samba pulse, nylon-string guitar, airy vocals, relaxed swing, sophisticated harmony, and romantic atmosphere.

Bossa Nova Brazilian Jazz Samba Jazz Bossa Jazz Vocal Bossa Nova Cool Bossa Jazz Smooth Bossa Jazz Brazilian Jazz Guitar Brazilian Jazz Piano MPB Jazz Tropical Jazz Brazilian Fusion Jazz Bossa Lounge Samba-Funk Jazz Brazilian Jazz Vocal Pop Choro Jazz

Jazz Fusion / Jazz-Rock / Electric Jazz

Jazz meeting rock, funk, electric keyboards, amplified bass, complex rhythm, extended soloing, and studio-era experimentation.

Jazz Fusion Jazz Rock Electric Jazz Fusion Jazz Progressive Jazz Fusion Jazz-Funk Fusion Electric Miles-Lane Jazz Fusion Guitar Jazz Electric Piano Fusion Synth Fusion Jazz Fusion Big Band Latin Fusion Jazz Smooth Fusion Funk-Rock Jazz Progressive Fusion

Soul Jazz / Jazz-Funk / Groove Jazz

Groove-centered jazz: organ, electric piano, blues phrasing, funk basslines, gospel feeling, danceable rhythm, and R&B/soul crossover.

Soul-Jazz Jazz-Funk Groove Jazz Funk Jazz Hammond Organ Jazz Organ Soul Jazz Boogaloo Jazz Rare Groove Jazz R&B Jazz Gospel Soul Jazz Funk Fusion Jazz Smooth Jazz-Funk Afro-Funk Jazz Disco Jazz

Traditional / New Orleans / Dixieland Jazz

The oldest front-porch and parade-rooted jazz family: collective improvisation, clarinet/cornet/trombone front line, banjo or piano, tuba or bass, and second-line energy.

New Orleans Jazz Traditional Jazz Dixieland Jazz Hot Jazz Early Jazz Classic Jazz Second Line Jazz Brass Band Jazz Ragtime Jazz New Orleans Parade Jazz Creole Jazz Storyville Jazz Hot Club Early Jazz Revivalist Traditional Jazz Traditional Jazz VocalChicago JazzBritish Trad Jazz

Lo-Fi Jazz / Chill Jazz / Café Jazz

A modern listener-facing streaming bucket: mellow chords, soft drums, brushed snares, Rhodes, dusty ambience, café mood, study playlists, and jazz-hop crossover.

Lo-Fi Jazz Chill Jazz Café Jazz Study Jazz Jazzhop Chillhop Jazz Lo-Fi Jazz Beats Bedroom Jazz Rainy Day Jazz Cozy Jazz Soft Piano Jazz Ambient Jazz Lo-Fi Bossa Jazz Lo-Fi Smooth Jazz Vinyl Jazz Loop

Jazz Rap / Hip-Hop Jazz

The bridge between jazz harmony and hip-hop rhythm: sampled jazz loops, live jazz bands, spoken flow, boom-bap drums, Rhodes, upright bass, horns, and socially aware lyricism.

Jazz Rap Jazz-Hop Boom-Bap Jazz Rap Native Tongues-Lane Jazz Rap Live-Band Jazz Rap Neo-Jazz Rap Spoken-Word Jazz Rap Soul-Jazz Rap Jazz-Trap Lo-Fi Jazz Rap Afro-Jazz Rap Gospel Jazz Rap Abstract Jazz Rap Beat Tape Jazz

Blues Jazz / Boogie-Woogie / Jump Jazz

Jazz closest to blues roots: shuffle, blue notes, gospel/blues phrasing, boogie left hand, jump rhythm, and roadhouse energy.

Blues-Jazz Jazz-Blues Boogie-Woogie Jump Jazz Jump Blues Jazz Kansas City Blues Jazz Chicago Blues Jazz Piano Blues Jazz Sax Blues Jazz Soul-Blues Jazz Gospel-Blues Jazz Swing Blues Hard Bop Blues Bluesy Organ Jazz Jazz-Rock Blues

Modal / Spiritual / Post-Bop Jazz

The searching, expansive, harmony-looser side of modern jazz: modes, long vamps, spiritual themes, open forms, meditative repetition, and intense improvisation.

Modal Jazz Spiritual Jazz Post-Bop Modern Post-Bop Avant-Modal Jazz Coltrane-Lane Spiritual Jazz Meditative Jazz Cosmic Jazz Eastern-Influenced Jazz Gospel-Modal Jazz Afro-Spiritual Jazz Chamber Modal Jazz Large Ensemble Spiritual Jazz Post-Bop Vocal Jazz

Nu Jazz / Electronic / Club Jazz

Jazz blended with electronic production, dance rhythms, samples, broken beat, house, downtempo, and club culture.

Nu Jazz Electronic Jazz Broken Beat Jazz Jazz House Deep House Jazz Jazztronica Downtempo Jazz Trip-Hop Jazz Future Jazz IDM Jazz Electro-Swing Club Jazz Ambient Electronic Jazz Sample-Based Jazz

Acid Jazz / Rare Groove / Lounge Jazz

The clubby, stylish, groove-record-store side of jazz: funk bass, soul vocals, organ, horns, DJ culture, lounge atmosphere, and retro-modern rhythm.

Acid Jazz Rare Groove Jazz Lounge Jazz Club Jazz Jazz Lounge Cocktail Jazz Bossa Lounge Funk Lounge Jazz Soul Lounge Jazz Mod Jazz Retro Groove Jazz Jazz Dance Deep Groove Jazz Smooth Lounge Jazz Café Lounge Jazz Exotica

Gypsy Jazz / Hot Club / Manouche

The acoustic string-swing family: fast guitar runs, violin, rhythm guitar "la pompe," European café atmosphere, and virtuosic acoustic improvisation.

Gypsy Jazz Jazz Manouche Hot Club Jazz Django-Lane Jazz Acoustic Swing Guitar String Swing Jazz French Swing Jazz European Hot Jazz Violin Swing Jazz Musette Jazz Gypsy Bossa Gypsy Jazz Waltz Gypsy Jazz Vocal Hot Club Fusion

Piano Trio / Small Combo Jazz

A highly important format-family: piano, bass, drums; or compact instrumental combos with close interaction, standards, originals, and improvisational dialogue.

Piano Trio Jazz Small Combo Jazz Jazz Trio Jazz Quartet Jazz Quintet Standards Trio Modern Piano Trio Bebop Piano Trio Cool Piano Trio Bill Evans-Lane Trio Contemporary Piano Jazz Chamber Piano Jazz Free Piano Trio Latin Piano Trio Lo-Fi Piano Jazz

Organ Trio / Guitar Combo Jazz

A groove-heavy club and small-combo lane: Hammond organ, guitar, drums, blues phrasing, soul-jazz energy, gospel color, and tight rhythmic pocket.

Organ Trio Jazz Hammond Jazz Guitar Combo Jazz Jazz Guitar Soul Organ Jazz Blues Organ Jazz Groove Organ Jazz Hard Bop Organ Combo Funk Organ Jazz Guitar Soul Jazz Smooth Guitar Jazz Latin Organ Jazz Jazz Guitar Ballad Jazz-Funk Guitar

Ragtime / Stride / Early Piano Jazz

The pre-jazz and early-jazz piano lineage: syncopated ragtime, stride left hand, parlor-to-club virtuosity, and early swing vocabulary.

Ragtime Stride Piano Early Piano Jazz Harlem Stride Classic Ragtime Novelty Piano Barrelhouse Piano Boogie-Woogie Piano Ragtime Jazz Piano Roll Jazz Tin Pan Alley Jazz Early Swing Piano New Orleans Piano Jazz Ragtime Revival

Contemporary Creative / Alternative Jazz

The modern boundary-crossing jazz family: new composition, genre fusion, art-music influence, unusual ensembles, alternative jazz, and post-genre aesthetics.

Contemporary Creative Jazz Alternative Jazz Modern Creative Jazz Post-Genre Jazz Indie Jazz Art Jazz Experimental Contemporary Jazz Genre-Fluid Jazz Jazz-R&B Crossover Jazz-Pop Crossover Jazz-Hip-Hop Ensemble Chamber Creative Jazz Ambient Creative Jazz New Composer Jazz Modern Improvised MusicM-BaseUK Jazz

Free Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz

The freedom-seeking side of jazz: open harmony, collective improvisation, extended techniques, nontraditional form, raw expression, and high experimentation.

Free Jazz Avant-Garde Jazz Free Improvisation Jazz Fire Music Energy Music Free Bop Avant-Bop Free Spiritual Jazz Collective Improvisation Outside Jazz Loft Jazz Free Jazz Big Band Free Jazz Vocal European Free Jazz Avant-Garde Saxophone Jazz

Third Stream / Classical Crossover Jazz

Jazz meeting classical composition: chamber writing, orchestral colors, counterpoint, formal structures, contemporary classical influence, and written/improvised balance.

Third Stream Classical Jazz Crossover Chamber Jazz Orchestral Jazz Symphonic Jazz Jazz Concerto Modern Classical Jazz String Quartet Jazz Jazz-Classical Piano Baroque Jazz Minimalist Jazz Film-Score Jazz Chamber Fusion Contemporary Composition Jazz Concert Hall Jazz

Modern Big Band / Large Ensemble Jazz

Large-format jazz beyond old-school swing: modern arranging, contemporary harmony, progressive orchestration, fusion colors, political suites, filmic writing, and large-ensemble experimentation.

Modern Big Band Jazz Large Jazz Ensemble Contemporary Big Band Progressive Big Band Jazz Orchestra Concert Jazz Orchestra Fusion Big Band Latin Big Band Jazz Swing Big Band Free Jazz Big Band Chamber Big Band Political Suite Jazz Filmic Big Band Jazz Vocal Big Band Jazz

Gospel / Sacred Jazz

Jazz rooted in church music and spiritual worship: gospel harmony, sacred suites, hymn reinterpretation, choir-and-combo writing, and devotional improvisation.

Gospel Jazz Sacred Jazz Spiritual Gospel Jazz Jazz Hymn Jazz Mass Church Organ Jazz Gospel Soul Jazz Choir Jazz Devotional Jazz Sacred Suite Jazz Gospel Vocal Jazz Praise Jazz Spiritual Piano Jazz Hymn Reimagined Jazz

Jazz-Folk / Americana / Roots

Jazz blended with folk, Americana, country, and acoustic roots: acoustic instrumentation, storytelling melody, pastoral mood, and string-band color.

Jazz-Folk Folk Jazz Americana Jazz Acoustic Roots Jazz Country Jazz Western Swing Jazz Bluegrass Jazz Newgrass Jazz String Band Jazz Pastoral Jazz Singer-Songwriter Jazz Folk-Bossa Jazz Acoustic Guitar Jazz Roots Fusion Jazz

Global / World Jazz Fusion

Jazz fused with traditions from around the world: regional scales, instruments, rhythms, and cross-cultural collaboration beyond the Latin/Brazilian families.

World Jazz Afro-Jazz Ethio-Jazz South African Jazz Indo-Jazz Middle Eastern Jazz Flamenco Jazz Mediterranean Jazz Nordic Jazz Asian Jazz Fusion Celtic Jazz Afrobeat Jazz World Fusion Jazz Global Spiritual JazzCape JazzMarabiJapanese Jazz / J-Jazz

Jazz Ballads / Torch / Romantic Jazz

The slow, intimate, emotional core of jazz: ballads, torch songs, romantic standards, late-night mood, and lyrical improvisation.

Jazz Ballads Torch Songs Romantic Jazz Late Night Jazz Slow Jazz Ballad Standards Piano Ballad Jazz Sax Ballad Jazz Mood Jazz Intimate Jazz Bossa Ballad Smooth Ballad Jazz Cool Ballad Jazz Vocal Ballad Jazz

Experimental / Noise / Free Improvisation Jazz

The furthest-out experimental jazz lane: noise, electronics, extended technique, free improvisation, sound art, and boundary dissolution.

Experimental Jazz Noise Jazz Free Improvisation Electroacoustic Jazz Sound Art Jazz Jazz Noise Improv Avant-Jazz Electronics Industrial Jazz Drone Jazz Microtonal Jazz Improv Collective Jazz Glitch Jazz Extended Technique Jazz Post-JazzPunk JazzDark Jazz / Doom Jazz

Era / Scene Labels

Catch-all bucket for time-period and scene tags people use to describe jazz historically rather than by style.

1920s Jazz 1930s Swing Era 1940s Bebop Era 1950s Cool Era 1960s Modern Jazz 1970s Fusion Era 1980s Neo-Traditional Jazz 1990s Acid Jazz Era Harlem Renaissance Jazz Loft Jazz Scene Blue Note Era ECM-Style Jazz Modern Streaming Jazz Contemporary Scene JazzTerritory Band Era