which he often did onstage during performances.
Other jazz legends who continued to perform live
during the 1980’s included bassist Ron Carter, Chick
Corea and his Elektric Band, vocalist Abby Lincoln,
and Latin-influenced, Brazilian artist Flora Purim.
Jazz music as different as that of Sun Ra, Dewey
Redman, Stanley Turentine, Benny Carter, Maynard
Ferguson, and Grover Washington thrilled audi-
ences attending concerts, while master drummer
Max Roach and his double quartet appeared at
Yoshi’s in Oakland, filling the room in a club too
small for the sound with exotic drumming from ev-
ery direction. The sounds of electric jazz, bebop,
modern jazz, hard bop, cool jazz, free jazz, cross-
cultural explosions of Latin, Brazilian, Cuban, Ca-
ribbean, and African rhythms, crossover jazz with
rock beats, fusion, and rhythm and blues could be
heard all across America. It was truly an exciting de-
cade for those who appreciated the experienced art-
ists of jazz.Impact Jazz flourished in the 1980’s. Hard-core
fans found a plethora of live performances in venues
of all sizes, while mainstream music consumers pur-
chased jazz music in greater quantities. As it gained
mainstream recognition, jazz appeared more fre-The Eighties in America Jazz 547
Year Title Artist
1986 Elektric Band Chick Corea’s Elektric Band
Live from the Village Vanguard Phil Woods Quartet
Double Vision David Sanborn and Bob James
Timeless Diane Schuur
Tutu Miles Davis
The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen The Tonight Show Band with Doc
Severinsen
Marsalis Standard Time, Volume I Wynton Marsalis
Bud and Bird Gil Evans and the Monday Night Orchestra
Royal Garden Blues;Renaissance Branford Marsalis
1987 Brasil The Manhattan Transfer
Still Life (Talking) Pat Metheny Group
Diane Schuur and the Count Basie Orchestra Diane Schuur and the Count Basie
Orchestra
Digital Duke Mercer Ellington
Blues for Coltrane: A Tribute to John Coltrane Cecil McBee, David Murray, McCoy Tyner,
Pharoah Sanders, and Roy Haynes
Destiny’s Song + The Image of Pursuance Courtney Pine
1988 Talkin’ ’bout You Diane Schuur
Politics Yellowjackets
Look What I Got! Betty Carter
Simple Pleasures Bobby McFerrin
Don’t Try This at Home Michael Brecker
Live at Sweet Basil Randy Brecker
1989 Letter from Home Pat Metheny Group
Akoustic Band Chick Corea Akoustic Band
Aura Miles Davis
Diamond in the Rough Roy Hargrove