Roland Guillon

Roland Guillon (born 1942) known both for his work on the problems of employment and capital, and particularly, for his innovative approach to jazz.

He is a research engineer at the Centre for Economics and Ethics on Environment and Development at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. A specialist in employment and training, he has undertaken several missions in West Africa.

He is behind the definition of the term New Wave in jazz. Inspired by what was called New Thing in the late 1950s, Guillon believes that the term is inappropriate and replaces thing with wave, a word which connotes movement, perhaps to signify the permanence of swing.

New Wave is a synthesis of two main jazz styles, hard bop and free jazz. New Wave composers or artists include, but are not limited to, artists involved in both styles.

In , Guillon establishes a chronology of the style and analyzes several albums key to understanding the movement. Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane and Don Cherry are illustrious members, as well as lesser-known musicians such as Prince Lasha.