Funk-based improvisation

Jean-Paul Bourelly and M-Base argue that rhythm is the key for further progress in the music; they believe that the rhythmic innovations of James Brown and other Funk pioneers can provide an effective rhythmic base for spontaneous composition. These musicians playing over a funk groove and extend the rhythmic ideas in a way analogous to what had been done with harmony in previous decades, an approach M-Base calls Rhythmic Harmony.

2000s jazz

In the 2000s, "jazz" hit the pop charts and blended with contemporary Urban music through the work of neo-soul artists like Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse and the jazz advocacy of performer-music educators such as Jools Holland, Courtney Pine and Peter Cincotti. As with pop fusion or "smooth jazz", a debate has arisen as to whether the music of these performers can be called jazz or not (see below). Pop singer Christina Aguilera recorded a jazz-based album titled Back to Basics in 2006.