Indo-Jazz Essentials

The marriage of jazz and Indian music makes plenty of sense: both traditions rely heavily upon improvisation. Modal jazz of the ‘50s featured extended solos in a setting akin to the melodic modes of Indian classical music. Some of the earliest blends of the two traditions in the ‘60s came from jazz musicians—such as John Coltrane—who either applied ornamental qualities from the subcontinent’s music or embraced its spiritual qualities; over time, parallel studies yielded more substantive fusions. Practitioners like John McLaughlin began to incorporate instruments from India or to use traditional ragas as compositional forms, forging a vessel for beguiling two-way exchanges.