jazz

His films La La Land and Whiplash are centered on jazz music and culture, exploring the passion, discipline, and emotional intensity of jazz performance.

He frequently incorporates jazz as a thematic and sonic element throughout his filmography, most notably in Mo' Better Blues which directly centers on a jazz trumpeter's life.

His visually inventive style and exploration of improvisation and spontaneity echo jazz principles, with works like Be Kind Rewind celebrating artistic improvisation and creative freedom.