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Neo-Bop: The Young Lions Movement

Derrick Gardner, conductor 

At the close of the 1970s, the conversation around the future of jazz was contentious. Miles Davis had gone electric, Herbie Hancock was embracing early hip-hop, fusion was incorporating rock elements, and jazz was branching away from tradition. In the 1980s, a group of young, talented musicians signaled a return to the foundations of jazz, playing bebop, classic swing, and music from the Great American Songbook. These “Young Lions”—including such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Kevin Eubanks, and Wallace Roney—advocated for the elevation of jazz to “fine art” status, paving the way for the Jazz at Lincoln Center program. Enjoy selections from the artists whose work heralded a new direction for the genre. 

Donald Brown (arr. Bill Mobley), New York 
Mulgrew Miller (arr. Bill Mobley), Return Trip 
Derrick Earl Gardner, Just a Touch 
Terence Blanchard, Lil’ Fawdy 
Victor Lewis (arr. David Sharp), Hey, It’s Me You’re Talking To 
Mulgrew Miller (arr. Bill Mobley), Second Thoughts 
Donald Brown (arr. Bill Mobley), Biscuit Man 
Jimmy Greene (arr. Derrick Earl Gardner), Bloomfield