Electronic Jazz: Heartcore - Kurt Rosenwinkel

Heartcore by Kurt Rosenwinkel is a fantastic electronic jazz album that should be heard by fans of electronic music and jazz or any combination of the two. Kurt Rosenwinkel is one of the most influential current jazz guitarists and he sometimes dabbles in styles other than straight ahead jazz. This is a good thing that should be embraced by more jazz artists. It will make jazz more accessible to mainstream audiences of electronic music and hip hop without sacrificing the elements that make jazz jazz, and that is always a good thing.

Heartcore features a truely wide range of sounds and instrumentation, but underneath all of that is Kurt Rosenwinkel's distinct songwriting style and improvisation, along with a talented supporting group of other musicians. The tunes range from almost completely normal jazz (though still experimental and modern), such as the final track, to completely electronic tracks such as 'Interlude'.

One of the highlights of this album, and maybe one of the best examples of what electronic jazz music should be, is 'Love in the Modern World'. This selection features an organic, almost classical beginning with splashed of sampled strings that takes off into an amazing improvised jazz section driven by a very tasteful electronic beat. If there is one song that someone should chose to represent the growing medium of electronic jazz music, it would be this.

Jazz artists like Kurt Rosenwinkel exploring new ground with electronics is a great thing for jazz and music in general, and I am hoping he continues down this path of music, though I love his normal jazz albums as well. Check out this album if you are new to the idea of electronic jazz.