cool jazz
what it is
Cool jazz is a jazz style that emerged in the late 1940s in New York City. During 1945, after the Second World War, there was an influx of Californian (predominantly white) jazz musicians to New York. Once there, these musicians mixed with the mostly black bebop musicians, but were also strongly influenced by the "smooth" sound of saxophonist Lester Young.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
✦ make cool jazz a playlist
turn these 9 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is cool jazz?
Cool jazz is a jazz style that emerged in the late 1940s in New York City. During 1945, after the Second World War, there was an influx of Californian (predominantly white) jazz musicians to New York. Once there, these musicians mixed with the mostly black bebop musicians, but were also strongly influenced by the "smooth" sound of saxophonist Lester Young.
What are good cool jazz albums to start with?
Try Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis, Take Ten by Paul Desmond, Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet by Miles Davis Quintet, and Time Out by Dave Brubeck.
Who are some women making cool jazz?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/cool-jazz/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making cool jazz, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20