Jazz Artists Quietly Shaping Pop Right Now

Nubya Garcia's warm tenor sound carries easily across jazz, dub and electronic production, giving every collaboration a recognizable human center.

Yussef Dayes' fluid drumming makes difficult rhythmic changes feel weightless, a groove-first virtuosity that translates naturally to pop audiences.

Makaya McCraven records improvisation and edits it like a hip-hop producer, creating tracks that feel played live and constructed in the studio.

BADBADNOTGOOD is equally fluent in jazz improvisation, rap production and studio atmosphere, which makes the band useful far beyond jazz billing.

Moses Boyd brings London's jazz, grime and club rhythms into the same drum language, giving his music both live force and electronic precision.

DOMi and JD BECK are conspicuous virtuosos, but their tight rhythmic conversation and prankish arrangements keep the technique musically useful.

Sam Gendel can make a saxophone resemble breath, damaged tape or a broken synthesizer, which is why pop producers keep finding new uses for him.

After years of forceful saxophone work, Shabaka Hutchings has moved toward flute and quieter arrangements without losing his sense of spiritual intensity.

Esperanza Spalding's technique never overwhelms her curiosity, whether she is writing compact songs, theatrical suites or collaborative experiments.

Kamasi Washington makes spiritual jazz work at festival scale, using large ensembles and direct themes without reducing the music to spectacle.