Matteo Prefumo

What tunes should you study if you want to learn how to compose modern jazz?

A few weeks ago, a young musician asked me this question. After mentioning a few pieces instinctively, I decided to turn that answer into something more useful.

I published a new blog post with a curated selection of post-1960s jazz songs that, in my opinion, can be extremely valuable if you want to understand modern jazz composition more deeply — not just chords or scales, but melody, form, orchestration, groove, development of ideas, and the relationship between writing and improvisation.

In the article, I also explain why, before approaching this repertoire, it is essential to know records such as Speak No Evil, Maiden Voyage, Speak Like a Child, Ready for Freddie, Nefertiti, and many other masterpieces that represent a fundamental part of the jazz language.

The list published in the blog post is only a partial selection. Inside the article, you can also download the complete PDF listening guide for free, organized by artists and songs.

It includes music by Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Keith Jarrett, Michael Brecker, Brian Blade, Milton Nascimento, Weather Report, Antonio Sanchez, Brad Mehldau, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and many others.

This is not meant to be a “definitive” list, because no list could ever be definitive.

It is simply a starting point for deeper listening, for studying modern jazz repertoire more intentionally, and for understanding how some great composers built their musical worlds.

Read the article here:

80+ Post-1960s Jazz Songs to Study for Modern Jazz Composition - Matteo Prefumo Official Website A few weeks ago, a young musician asked me a simple question: “What tunes should I study if I want to learn how to compose modern jazz?”My first answer was: “First of all, you should pretend to play modern jazz — that’s always a good starting point.” Joking aside, I answered instinctivel...

The other day I got to hang with John Scofield for almost an hour.

I had never met him personally before, and honestly… what a cool human being. After maybe two minutes we were already talking about tunes, Wes, guitars, sound, records — all that stuff — like two teenagers who still can’t believe how much they love this music.

The first time I saw John live, I was 3 years old, in Sanremo, with Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart. Of course, at that age I didn’t really understand everything that was happening, but somehow that memory stayed with me.

I’ve also been lucky enough to know Pat personally for almost ten years now, and spending time talking with people like him and John always reminds me of something very simple, but very deep: with the truly great musicians, the music always comes first.

Not the guitar. Not the chops. Not the image. Not the need to impress anybody.

The guitar is an incredible instrument, of course, and we all love it. We love the sound, the feel, the strings, the amps, the history, the nerdy details. But at the end of the day, the guitar is still just a tool.

The real thing is the music: being in the moment, listening, reacting, and trying to make every note feel like it belongs there — like it couldn’t have happened any other way.

And I think this is something that is easy to forget today, especially on social media, where everything can become a little too much about showing what you can do. How fast you can play — even when sometimes you can’t. How difficult the lick is - But honestly, the cats we really love don’t think in terms of “licks”. How impressive the concept looks from the outside. How many views it can get.

They think in terms of sound, melody, time, intention, interaction, storytelling. They are not trying to fill the space just to prove they can. They are listening to what the music is asking for...And that’s the point for me.
Music is not supposed to be functional to the algorithm, or to what people expect from you. Everything should be functional to the moment, to the band, to the sound, to the story you are trying to tell.

That’s what I’ve always loved in musicians like John Scofield and Pat Metheny. Even when the level is insane, you NEVER feel that the point is “look how good I am.” You feel the opposite, you feel that everything is there because the music needs it.

And to me, that is still the whole point.

Music first. Always.