Indo jazz
Also known as Indo-Jazz Fusions
A compact but important fusion label with a clear documented 1960s origin in London. The sound grew from a genuine collaboration rather than a vague stylistic borrowing, which is why the Harriott-Mayer recordings still function as the genre’s anchor point.
Origins and context
A mid-1960s British recording scene where Indian classical musicians and jazz players were intentionally paired to build a shared improvisational language.
History
Indo jazz is most clearly documented as a 1960s fusion movement that took shape in London, where Indian and jazz musicians were brought together in ambitious cross-cultural recording projects. The best-known early breakthrough was the Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet, later known as Indo-Jazz Fusions, whose 1966 recordings helped define the label and gave it a lasting reference point. That early work did not emerge in a vacuum. Indian and jazz musicians had been crossing paths earlier in the 20th century, and by the 1960s the wider musical climate was more open to raga, improvisation, and hybrid ensemble writing. Later artists carried the idea forward in different directions, but the Harriott-Mayer recordings remain the clearest documented origin story for the genre.
Notable artists
- JHJoe Harriott
- JMJohn Mayer
Essential listening
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Explore connected genres
Sources and further reading
- theguardian.com
The genre’s best-known early documented origin is the Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet, later called Indo-Jazz Fusions, based in London.
- The Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet
- Spotify
Spotify lists Indo Jazz Suite by The Joe Harriott-John Mayer Double Quintet as a 1966 album with tracks including Overture and Raga Megha.
- Joe Harriott
- John Mayer's Indo Jazz Fusions