Combining jazz and punk, or post-punk, if you will, might be around, but it is not exactly a musical combination that you will encounter any day. To make it sound coherent and plausible, you need to have a good balance between the two and combine the key elements of both genres. You can call it new post-jazz/rock if you will.
Definitely, not an easy task, unless you are quite familiar with both idioms and unless you find that meeting point of the two – exuberance, energy, and often, free-form the two exhibit.
Manchester’s quartet Maruja (vocalist and guitarist Harry Wilkinson, drummer Jacob Hayes, bassist Matt Buonaccorsi, and saxophonist Joe Carroll) make an attempt to do exactly that on their latest EP Knocknarea (actually, a collection of their previous three singles and a new track).
Well, Maruja may be on the right track, as they have the exuberance and energy and at the same time are able to combine both the control and free-form with the latest track, ‘Kakistocracy’ showing that they are able to put their knowledge of both musical forms to best effect.
And their audience seems to get it – you don’t just get over million streams for not doing something that hits all the right notes (not too many, nor too little, by the way).
