American bassist John Kirby (1908-1952) is arguably the first chamber jazz musician with a sextet he led in the 1930s and '40s.
The German ECM Records also played a role in popularizing the genre beginning in the late 1960s.
The non-Western influences or instrumentation make chamber jazz at times listed as a kind of world music.
[6] Windham Hill itself was co-founded by a musician linked to chamber jazz and was initially known for folk or world music.
During recent years, chamber jazz is performed more and accepted by a larger audience.