Published August 6, 2025 at 6:26 AM EDT
TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
Jazz and video games? You bet.
From the pixelated arcades of the ’80s to modern consoles, jazz has been laying down grooves in game soundtracks that surprise, swing, and set the mood.
Games like “Cuphead” and “L.A. Noire” bring that vintage jazz sound front and center—sizzling trumpets, walking bass, and smoky sax. It creates atmosphere, tension, and character like no other genre can.
Even classic games like “Sonic the Hedgehog” and “Street Fighter III” borrow jazz harmony, funk fusion, and bebop rhythms to bring levels to life.
This has been Rapp on Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
