WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mod′ern jazz′,
- Music, Music and Danceany of various styles of jazz that have evolved since the early 1940s and are marked generally by harmonic and rhythmic complexity, emphasis on chord progressions rather than melody, a tendency to draw on classical forms and styles, and eclectic, allusive melodic tags in improvisation. Also called progressive jazz. Cf. bop 1, cool jazz, hard bop.
- 1950–55
'modern jazz' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Brubeck
- Powell
- bop
- cool jazz
- hard bop
- hipster
- mainstream
- moldy fig
- progressive jazz
- swing