Free jazz, emerging in the 1960s, rejected traditional jazz structures, embracing experimentation and spontaneity. Characterized by improvisational freedom, unconventional instrumentation, and avant-garde sounds, free jazz often featured extended instrumental techniques, atypical harmonies, and fluid, often chaotic, rhythms. Born from the avant-garde movement, it drew from African-American spiritual and cultural heritage, while also incorporating elements of blues, gospel, and classical music. Notable for its emphasis on collective improvisation and pushing musical boundaries, free jazz was a pivotal force in the jazz avant-garde, influencing subsequent genres like fusion, punk, and noise music. Its cultural significance lay in its radical challenge to traditional notions of music and its role in reflecting the social upheaval of the 1960s.

Defiant Life

Vijay Iyer•

Wadada Leo Smith

Ep - 6 Tracks - Released March 21, 2025