This section examines how Miles Davis became a driving force in the effort to combine jazz and rock music to form a new style of jazz known variously as jazz fusion, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion. We will focus particularly on Davis’ seminal 1969 album, Bitches Brew.

A number of the musicians who worked with Miles Davis in forging the new fusion style of jazz eventually formed their own bands. We will consider the work of Miles Davis’ sidemen as leaders in their own fusion bands, particularly Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, John McLaughlin, and Herbie Hancock. We will also look at other artists who explored various currents in jazz-rock fusion.

Finally, having already examined Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock in some detail, we'll take a closer look at two more trend-setting Miles Davis keyboardists, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett, and their work as pioneers in acoustic settings.