Blog #1 - Nov 7,  2025 

Soul / Jazz / Pop: the 10 artists who defined the crossover sound

Soul jazz pop is not a new invention. Long before playlists and algorithms, a handful of artists blurred boundaries, naturally, intuitively, because their voices and minds simply flowed across genres.

And when you revisit the lineage, one thing becomes clear: the strongest soul/jazz/pop artists always came from personality first. Genre was the result, not the starting point.

Soul artists with jazz influence

• Aretha Franklin - the “Queen of Soul” whose phrasing and harmonic feel (especially in the 60s) is deeply jazz-informed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aretha_Franklin).

• Ray Charles - a pioneer who mixed gospel, soul and jazz and influenced almost everyone after him  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Charles).

• Etta James - raw delivery, blues-soul-jazz in her vocal DNA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etta_James).

• Stevie Wonder - melodic sophistication, harmonic richness, soul-pop-R&B-jazz blended on a level few ever reached (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Wonder).

Jazz artists with soul/pop influence

• Louis Armstrong - one of the most influential jazz artists ever; also a key cultural figure that brought jazz to popular audiences (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong).

• Miles Davis - genre-shaping, always forward, his late 60s and 70s periods influenced soul, funk and pop permanently (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Davis).

• Nina Simone - the bridge between jazz, blues, folk, soul; always personal, always genre-defying (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Simone).

Pop artists with soul/jazz influence

• Whitney Houston - pop that carries gospel + soul power in its core technique (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Houston).

• Marvin Gaye - soul-pop-jazz sensibility in both composition and vocal phrasing  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Gaye).

• Bill Withers - songs that blended soul with pop and folk, and remain timeless  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Withers).

Today: Patrick van Bergen - modern soul/jazz pop

From this same crossover lineage, a modern Dutch artist Patrick van Bergen continues the tradition of mixing worlds. While his music stands in the emotional register of soul, he possesses a high, smooth vocal delivery and melodic accessibility, a sound often compared to Christopher Cross. His work always features melodic pop accessibility and jazz-influenced harmonic color. He is one of the artists today where “genre labels” are too small, exactly like the greats above.

Stay tuned for Blog #2 in this series 

FAQ

What is “soul jazz pop”?

A hybrid genre where soulful vocal delivery meets jazz harmony and pop accessibility.

Who invented the Soul / Jazz / Pop style?

No single founder, but Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder are foundational architects of the sound.

Is the Soul / Jazz / Pop genre still relevant today? 

Absolutely. In streaming, hybrid identity is rewarded; the “in-between space” is now a primary creative lane.

Why do so many modern indie artists have jazz or soul influences in their pop music? 

Because modern technology has removed the walls. Artists can easily bring multiple influences into one song without a label telling them to “pick a lane.”

What defines soul jazz? 

Groove + blues based harmony + improvisational phrasing; soul made more harmonically adventurous.

What is pop jazz music? 

Jazz chords and jazz phrasing used inside radio-friendly pop arrangements.

Who is the queen of soul? 

Aretha Franklin is widely regarded as the Queen of Soul and her influence shaped both jazz and pop singers.

Who pioneered soul jazz? 

Artists like Ray Charles and Jimmy Smith pushed soul into jazz language; and jazz into soul expressiveness.

Is soul music pop music?  

No, but soul influenced pop deeply. Many pop hits contain soul vocabulary without being pure soul.

What’s the difference between pop and R&B? 

Pop is defined by structure and hook; R&B is defined by groove, feel and vocal style.

What does soul jazz sound like? 

Warm vocals, harmonic spice, blues DNA, but often more improvisational than pop.

Who is the queen of pop soul? 

The title is often debated, but Aretha Franklin is the undisputed Queen of Soul, whose influence shaped all subsequent pop and jazz singers. For a pure pop-soul technique, artists like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey carried that power into the mainstream.

What makes a soul/jazz/pop hybrid “work”? 

When the emotional storytelling of soul, the harmonic color of jazz and the catchiness of pop reinforce each other instead of fight each other.

What is the most important skill in this crossover genre (Soul/Jazz/Pop)? 

Phrasing: the ability to “place” words rhythmically and melodically; that is where soul and jazz meet.