Forty years ago, a new sound oozed up from the New York City underground, combining the boundlessness of free jazz with the aggressive attitude of punk rock. In his article for JT‘s May 2019 issue, Jim Farber took a look at this curious “punk jazz” hybrid; here as a companion piece are 10 albums that provide a basic template for the style. MAC RANDALL
James Chance & the Contortions: Buy (1979)
Punk jazz’s ground zero. Buy was fired by the abandon of James Chance’s saxophone, which raged over the trampoline guitar riffs of Jody Harris and Pat Place. It was all kept in balance by a super-funky rhythm section.
