Horn in jazz Horn in jazz While the horn (also known as the French Horn) is primarily used in classical music pieces, in the mid-20th century the French horn broke into the jazz world. While the instrument remains relatively rare, the role of the horn in jazz has developed from its beginnings in the 1940s through to the 2010s. Note that the expression "horns" in jazz is often used colloquially to refer to all brass instruments used in jazz (e.g., trumpet, sax, trombone, etc.). This article focuses on the use of the French horn. The Claude Thornhill Orchestra was the first group to
Horn in jazz though he began composing without recognition earlier. His first piece, “Jumpin in the Future” was an atonal jazz composition based on 12-tone music. However once Schuller began composing, he stopped playing horn. Once he spent too much time away from the instrument, he believed he no longer had the chops to continue playing. Still, most of his third stream works include horn parts. Many contemporary jazz horn players have made a name for themselves in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s. Some popular jazz hornists were taught privately by the breakthrough jazz horn players. Besides those mentioned below, other important