By the ‘80s, jazz had reached a crisis point when some of the main figures in genres like hard-bop, third stream and modal jazz had either died or gone experimental. Thus, the new blood of jazz—Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano, Kenny Garrett and more—sought to take jazz back to its roots: traditional forms, hard-bop-influenced improvisation and whip-smart interplay between ensemble members. At the same time, musicians like Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau looked to pop, jam and prog music to help find a way forward.