Some time ago, I published the first part of what I megalomaniacally called Kevy Metal’s Gateway to Jazz. My idea was to introduce jazz-curious hard rock and heavy metal listeners to jazz acts and releases that will ease them into listening to the genre, without the elitism that I sadly still often encounter in the jazz scene. Such a guide is incomplete by its very nature. The music of legendary artists like Duke Ellington and John Coltrane have too little in common with the rock idiom to be gateway artists, while starting with dozens of artists defeats the purpose.

Part 1 largely focused on the jazz-rock and fusion scenes of the late sixties and early seventies, simply because that was the time when jazz and rock music first came together. One reason why this sequel was so long in the making is because jazz has since developed in different directions. This is undeniably a good thing, but that also made it more difficult to settle on a handful of artists to keep the article easily digestible.

Eventually, I settled on gateway artists from this century for the second chapter. I realize this skips over two decades, in which some fairly electric guitar-heavy jazz artists rose to prominence. Excellent guitarists like Pat Metheny, John Scofield and the incredible George Benson all broke through between these two eras. But while I think they are all worth hearing, I think they might not be the best introductory artists to the genre. In keeping with the gateway theme, this chapter’s first band has strong ties to the last band of the previous one.

One Shot

Every member of One Shot except drummer Daniel Jeand’heur has at some point been part of Magma. In fact, it was keyboard player Emmanuel Borghi’s connection with Magma leader Christian Vander that more or less brought the band together. One Shot’s music is very clearly inspired by mid-seventies Magma. The heavy riffs, the pounding drums, bassist extraordinaire Philippe Bussonnet’s crushing bass sound and the overall bleak atmosphere all scream Magma’s influence. And yet, One Shot does managed to create something unique, partially helped by the fact that their music is entirely instrumental.

One Shot has one of the most consistent discographies in modern fusion. Every single one of their albums is worth hearing, though the consensus – among fans and members of the band – appears to be that 2006’s ‘Ewaz Vader’ album is their peak. That album and its somewhat more rigid follow-up ‘Dark Shot’ (2008) saw the band shedding its final typical fusion elements and carving their own niche of heavy, riff-based music that leaves ample room for improvisation. The atmosphere is almost industrial, the riffs borderline metal.

Borghi left the band shortly after ‘Dark Shot’, the band released ‘Live in Tokyo’ (2010) with Bruno Ruder on keyboards, after which One Shot slowly faded away. After the tragic death of guitarist James Mac Gaw at the far too young age of 52 in 2021, a tribute performance – later released as ‘À James’ (2022) – apparently rekindled the fire. With a line-up featuring both Borghi and Ruder, One Shot released the surprisingly good ‘111’ in 2023. No one was brought in to replace Mac Gaw, but the keyboards sound uncannily guitar-like at times.

Hedvig Mollestad (Trio)

The music of the Hedvig Mollestad Trio might just be the most hard rock-inspired jazz that I have ever heard. This band honestly would not be out of place on the bill of a rock festival. Guitarist Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen never made a secret of her love for the likes of Black Sabbath and Jimi Hendrix, and it shows. Sure, there are improvised sections in the songs of her trio, but there are also very strong riffs, both creating something not too dissimilar from an instrumental stoner rock band with relatively tight songwriting chops.

While every release that Mollestad plays on is worth hearing, Hedvig Mollestad Trio really hit its stride with its 2016 release ‘Enfant Terrible’. Since then, the riffs, compositions and musicianship of Mollestad Thomassen, bassist Ellen Brekken and drummer Ivar Loe Bjørnstad has only improved. Both ‘Smells Funny’ (2018) and ‘Ding Dong. You’re Dead.’ (2021) contain all the monumental seventies rock riffs, wild improvisations and memorable melodic themes you’ll ever need. And the trio always sounds like a rock band first, never like a jazz band that’s trying to force the energy of rock into their music. Impressive stuff.

Aside from her trio, Mollestad also releases music under her own name. In terms of instrumentation, one could argue those albums are more traditionally jazzy, since horns and keyboards are involved. There is still a rock element, however, especially on her 2020 solo debut ‘Ekhidna’, which is probably my favorite album Mollestad ever played on. Giving the other musicians the space they need really allows her to lean on her awesome seventies fusion riffs, with particularly powerful results.

If I was ever in a situation where I was only allowed to listen to one jazz-related artist for the rest of my life, it would probably be Mollestad.

Nguyên Lê

Speaking of gateway artists: if there is one artist who seemingly effortlessly tears down the boundaries between jazz and rock – and world music, and to a certain extent classical music – it would be French-Vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê. He is always experimenting with different musical forms and band formations, to the point where it is often difficult to define which genre any given piece of music he plays on is. However, his instantly recognizable lead guitar work, which is inversely proportionate to his kind, modest demeanor, always takes center stage.

The musicians Nguyên Lê plays with could be playing traditional jazz, Vietnamese folk music, North African rhythms or ambient soundscapes. But as soon as his solo spot comes, guitar hero mode switches on. A Nguyên Lê guitar solo typically features a few rapid runs and a surprising amount of whammy bar madness, but there is also always a recognizable melody and an almost impossibly bright guitar sound. These solos would not be out of place on an eighties Shrapnel record, but the fact that they are in a much quieter environment makes them stand out as something special.

Nguyên Lê has released around twenty albums as a leader, but he has also appeared on a wealth of albums as a sideman or a guest musician. Perhaps weirdly, he always manages to simultaneously play in service of the music and exactly like one would expect him to play. His incredible guitar solo on Himiko’s ‘Pretty Heels’ needs to be heard to be believed. So while Nguyên Lê is arguably the strangest artist in this Gateway to Jazz chapter, he is also someone every fan of guitar-based music should listen to at least once.

Esperanza Spalding

So far, all artists covered make instrumental music almost exclusively. Esperanza Spalding is an incredible bassist, but she has also been singing on her songs ever since her 2006 debut album ‘Junjo’ was released. Spalding went through quite an interesting development stylistically. Her earliest work is acoustic jazz with her playing the upright bass and the piano being the only other melodic instrument. She gradually started adding more electric bass and additional layers to her music from her second album ‘Esperanza’ (2007) onward, culminating in two largely electric albums highlighting completely different sides of her musical identity.

First off, there is 2012’s ‘Radio Music Society’, which features such strong contemporary R&B, pop and hip-hop influences that the jazz moniker is almost too limiting to properly describe it. It is very deliberately a song-oriented album, and a good one at that. Then there is 2016’s ‘Emily’s D+Evolution’, which I personally consider Spalding’s magnum opus. Here, Spalding embraces rock influences, most prominent in Matthew Stevens’ jumpy, Hendrixian fusion riffs. The interplay between Spalding, Stevens and drummer Kareem Riggins is incredible, but so is the songwriting. Truly one of the greatest jazz achievements of the 21^st century.

Ever the experimental musician and songwriter, Spalding took her sound in various directions in the next few years. ‘Exposures’ (2017) and ’12 Little Spells’ (2018) could be seen as somewhat logical follow-ups to ‘Emily’s D+Evolution’ in the sense that Stevens’ slightly distorted guitar riffs are still accompanying Spalding, but they are their own things entirely. ‘Songwrights Apothecary Lab’ (2021) takes a more acoustic, yet very avant-garde approach. Admittedly, I’m not always in the mood for Spalding’s voice, but it’s consistently exciting to see where she takes her art next.

Trombone Shorty

The final artist for this Gateway to Jazz chapter probably operates furthest from the standard rock idiom. On his studio recordings, at least; his live performances can get quite guitar-heavy. Calling yourself Trombone Shorty – Troy Andrews for friends and family – certainly suggests that horns are the main focus of the music you play. And sure, this type of typical New Orleans jazz, rhythm and blues and funk hybrid simply begs for horns. On the other hand, the fact that Andrews refers to his music as “supafunkrock” makes it clear that he takes the rock element seriously.

In fact, the rock and hip-hop elements are exactly what makes Trombone Shorty’s music sound fresh and contemporary. All the elements that defined New Orleans music in the sixties already are present, but so are modern rhythms, and guitarist Pete Murano often indulges in surprisingly heavy chord work that takes the music further from the Leo Nocentelli-inspired riffing that often pops up in New Orleans music. Also, Andrews having quite a pleasant singing voice does wonders for the more song-oriented material, though there is plenty of jamming even in the more produced segments of his albums.

Each of Trombone Shorty’s albums are worth hearing, though ‘Backatown’ (2010) is where all the pieces of his genre puzzle first fell into place. Since then, he and his excellent backing band Orleans Avenue have in my opinion been the greatest New Orleans band since the heyday of The Neville Brothers in the late eighties and early nineties. Some Trombone Shorty productions might be a bit too much contemporary R&B for those generally into rock and metal, but make sure you stick around, the next track might just rock and swing enough for you.

What’s Next?

So what’s next? Not with jazz music in general; the genre has been around for about a century and a half, and I’m sure it will keep developing for decades to come. But I have decided to turn Kevy Metal’s Gateway to Jazz into an ongoing series by – hopefully – frequently publishing interviews with more rock-minded jazz musicians. Or more jazz-minded rock musicians, of course. Want to get ready? Below is a playlist I compiled to accompany the series.