Avant-garde jazz (also known as avant-jazz) is a style of music and improvisation that combines elements of avant-garde art music and composition with elements of traditional jazz. Avant-jazz overlaps with free jazz, but differs in that free jazz is generally performed with fewer, or no predetermined structure or composition.

Notable avant-jazz musicians

• Art Ensemble of Chicago
• Andrew Hill
• Sam Rivers
• Ornette Coleman
• Don Cherry
• Ed Blackwell
• Charlie Haden
• John Coltrane (later period)
• Eric Dolphy
• Dave Holland
• Joe Harriott
• Medeski, Martin, & Wood
• Evan Parker
• Laurence Mann
• Sun Ra
• Pharoah Sanders
• Archie Shepp
• Joe McPhee
• John Zorn
• Cecil Taylor
• Don Pullen
• George Adams
• Albert Ayler
• Don Ayler

See also

• Free jazz

Jazz genres

Avantgarde-jazz