Fusion
 
In the 1970's, many musicians blended jazz and rock music into fusion jazz. Fusion combined the melodic and improvisational aspects of jazz with the rhythms and instruments of rock. Electronic music played an important part in fusion. Jazz pianists began exploring the increased sound potential of synthesizers. Horn and string players began to use electronics to intensify, distort, or multiply their sounds. Many well-known jazz musicians gained new popularity by playing fusion. Some of the best-known fusion musicians were guitarist George Benson, trumpeters Donald Byrd and Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, and two combos, Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
 
At the same time, many veteran jazz musicians retained their popularity by leading groups that played in the swing, bebop, and cool styles. These leaders included Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Gerry Mulligan, and Oscar Peterson.
 
Recent developments
 
During the 1980's, a number of young jazz musicians returned to mainstream jazz. Mainstream jazz includes elements of the swing, cool, and bebop styles. The most widely acclaimed young musician of the 1980's was trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, a performer of both jazz and classical music. Marsalis plays with brilliant technique and tone. He and his brother, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, have led excellent hard bop combos.
 
Many young musicians continued to forge ahead with fusion groups. Two of the most respected fusion artists are the brothers trumpeter Randy Brecker and saxophonist Michael Brecker. Jane Ira Bloom also displays a mastery of the soprano saxophone and the synthesizer.
 
In the 1990's, jazz was dominated by a blend of older values and more modern styles. Many musicians favored acoustical over electronic instruments, formal structure over total freedom, and a sense of history over harsh modernity. Music of older artists continued to gain respect and followers. For example, bands devoted to the music of Count Basie and Charles Mingus became popular. Veteran musicians, such as trombonist J. J. Johnson and saxophonists Joe Henderson and Sonny Rollins, found new audiences among younger listeners.
 
The young musicians who energized jazz in the 1980's had become establishment figures by the end of the 1990's. They included trumpeters Roy Hargrove and Wynton Marsalis, guitarist Pat Metheny, trombonists Steve Turre and Ray Anderson, and pianist Chick Corea. A younger group of musicians also gained popularity, focusing on "straight-ahead jazz" that reflected earlier mainstream styles. They included saxophonists Joshua Redman and Donald Harrison, bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and pianist Marcus Roberts. At the same time, the free jazz style of the 1960's continued strong throughout the 1990's in the playing of saxophonists Steve Lacy and Roscoe Mitchell, pianist John Zorn, and their young followers.
 
Today, jazz continues to feature a variety of styles. Many musicians play in historic styles, such as swing and bebop. Others seek a more experimental approach. For example, the Art Ensemble of Chicago blends free jazz, African costumes and makeup, exotic instruments, and surprise techniques into theatrical musical events. Ornette Coleman's group, called Prime Time, mixes free and fusion jazz in new and interesting ways.
 
Electronics technology is gaining a greater role in jazz music. Such young jazz composers as Michael Daugherty are demonstrating that live musicians can interact creatively with computer-generated sound. Some artists have attempted new fusion sounds that blended jazz with such forms as rap music.