Writing Fusion Jazz

This is a style that has intrigued me ever since I first became obsessed with this funny thing called Jazz. I write a lot of Jazz. Mostly trad. jazz and Chicago n cool jazz, but this is something I have always wanted to try. How do I go about it? Any tips? How do the chord sequences work in this style? What is common instrumentation?

I particularly like the stylings of the band Weather Report and would like to write some Jazz/Funk/Disco/Synth stuff. Any help would be appreciated.

Well there really is no way to minimalize this subject, the best advice I can give you is just listen to the style alot- and try things.
It's a very free-form oriented style, the possibilities are endless...
I was into trad. jazz along time too before I turned to fusion and progressive-jazz, it's the best kind of background.
Chord sequences are very much jazz oriented, maybe a bit more extreme at times.
Instrumentation tends to be a mixture of electric and accoustic, but basically you can use anything you like from a trad. contrabass to steel drums and strange synths, try to create your own sound system that you feel good about.
One of the most important elements that you didn't mention, is rhythmics.
Explore different rhythms for the same melodic ideas, try odd-meter, or uneven division of straight-meter.
If you like, you can check out my fusion band here: MySpace.com - Unyson da Band - Zichron Ya?aqov / Tel-Aviv - Fusion / Funk / Jazz - www.myspace.com/unysonband
Hope I've been of any help

Omri.

(for some reason the link turned out much longer then I wrote it...)

Check out Steely Dan (best band EVER) and Herbie Hancock, for starters. It can almost be like smooth jazz, but without the smooth.
My band does a bit of everything (link in sig), but I'm influenced by everyone from Charles Mingus to AC/DC, Earth, Wind, and Fire to Alicia Keys.

Fusion's also (in my opinion) very close to Funk, so check out some of those guys, too.

~Kal

You might want to check out Robin's masterclass on Jazz history and read his section on fusion. From there you can get some root ideas.

As far as instrumentation, pretty much anything works. Mahavishnu has a distorted violin, many bands have saxophones, and it's acceptable to use pretty much anything in the band. At the core, though, you should probably have guitar, bass, and drums, unless you substitute a piano or organ somewhere in there.

I could send you a recording of my band's Belgian Schpeed Katsch which we played last night. It is in the time of 34-7 and the key of H# quizzical. It is a metaphysical transition through the 12th dimension that can only be achieved through schpazz. However, I fear that the experience, which can only be likened to placing a carrot through out ear and getting a cake out of the other, may prove too much for one who is not learned in the ways of scphazz as performed by Schpeed Katsch.

We do have a facebook group though!

Fail.

I've stayed out of this because I'm pretty sure the original poster's not coming back...

But seriously, what the fuck is this about?!

Originally Posted by onearmedbandit

I could send you a recording of my band's Belgian Schpeed Katsch which we played last night. It is in the time of 34-7 and the key of H# quizzical. It is a metaphysical transition through the 12th dimension that can only be achieved through schpazz. However, I fear that the experience, which can only be likened to placing a carrot through out ear and getting a cake out of the other, may prove too much for one who is not learned in the ways of scphazz as performed by Schpeed Katsch.

We do have a facebook group though!

Oh it's just a big joke based on a free-jazz band we saw in Belgium once... this is the sort of thing they kept saying to us (they themselves were Dutch). Just ignore me.