Jazz History 3: The Modern Era

Beginning with the legends — Weather Report, Chick Corea, Jaco Pastorius, John McLaughlin — and continuing right up to the present with artists ranging from Diana Krall to Norah Jones, contemporary jazz has gleaned from rock, R&B, and pop on its way — once again — to becoming one of our richest forms of music, as these Essential cuts attest.

Now that you've tasted some prime cuts of modern jazz, it's time to take that next step, exploring the songs that have deepened and broadened our idea of "jazz" — and bringing the music into a whole new era.

Just because a song never made it onto the radio doesn't mean it wasn't a killer cut. We went below the airwaves, selecting choice contemporary jazz tunes you might not know; but you really should.

Contemporary jazz is all about jazz spreading its wings —emerging from the insular world it occupied for half-a-century and assimilating influences from other genres. Beginning with Miles Davis' landmark 1970 album, Bitches Brew, and continuing right up through the present with artists ranging from Cassandra Wilson to Norah Jones, these tracks show jazz comingling with pop, R&B and rock, absorbing new colors and textures on its way to becoming one of our richest forms of music — all over again.