History Main / CreepyJazzMusic

* In ''Franchise/AceAttorney'', Shelly De Killer's theme, "[[https://youtu.be/ZoxLKK1G5-k Whim of a Murderous Gentleman]]" is a very smooth and slow tune befitting his classy, sinister nature.
* ''VideoGame/AloneInTheDark2023'': The soundtrack of the game, as shown off in the previews and prologue, is a jazzy score that is all at once relaxed, nostalgic, and mysterious. It also takes an intense feel in the announcement teaser as the characters are shown fighting monsters.

* WebAnimation/HazbinHotel: Alastor's VillainSong in the pilot, "Inside of Every Demon is a Lost Cause," is done in this style because Alastor is a demon from the 1930s with a permanent case of RadioVoice.

* Some of the soundtrack to ''VideoGame/DontStarve'' is this, especially the theme that plays when you chop down trees or mine in the spring. [[Spoiler: Also, the ragtime music that torments Maxwell]]

May overlap with {{Sexophone}} when EvilIsSexy. Compare CreepyCircusMusic, which may have a similar, "broken down" mood. Contrast SinisterTangoMusic.

* Creator/KevinMacleod has written a few songs in this style, such as [[https://youtu.be/UkD0Tj6fQvo The Show Must Be Go]] and [[https://youtu.be/Hnbv_KNxVo8 Deadly Roulette]].

* Music/TomWaits is an interesting case: he started off as a straight-up jazz crooner/pianist who just happened to have a [[GutturalGrowler husky voice]]. Then, in the early eighties, he married Kathleen Brennan, who introduced him to Beefheart. Once he heard that, he decided to adapt those musical ideas to his existing sound, leading to such classics as "[[Music/{{Swordfishtrombones}} Dave the Butcher]]," "[[Music/BoneMachine The Earth Died Screaming]]," and "[[Music/BloodMoney Misery's the River of the World]]," among others. However, some of his ''creepiest'' songs, like "[[Music/MuleVariations What's He Building in There?]]," "[[Music/BadAsMe Hell Broke Luce]]," and "Underground" eschew the jazz elements entirely.

In modern times, {{Jazz}} is typically known for being fun and catchy or artsy and highbrow. In fiction, jazz soundtracks, often slowed down or played in a minor key, can add an air of creepiness that often comes through association with a villain.

* The [[{{Bishonen}} Intersection's Pretty Boy]]'s theme song from the ''Creator/JunjiIto Collection'' anime, specifically the adaptation of ''Manga/{{Lovesickness}}''. It's a mix of creepy, eerie, mysterious, and [[{{Sexophone}} even a little bit sexy]], highlighting his supernatural characteristics and otherworldly beauty.

** "[[Recap/CowboyBebopSession20PierrotLeFou Pierrot le Fou]]" is a notable {{inver|tedTrope}}sion: in a [[OutOfGenreExperience radical departure]] for series practically dominated by the aforementioned jazz-infused GenreRoulette, the first few minutes are accompanied only by discordant, tuneless banging sounds, rattling noises, and sharp metallic screeches, while [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUJVacmswM8 the music]] for the flashback to Mad Pierrot's origin is a minimalist, borderline ProgressiveRock song (specifically, a cover of Music/PinkFloyd's "[[Music/TheDarkSideOfTheMoon On the Run]]").

Like RottenRockAndRoll and FreakyElectronicMusic, Jazz music is (or at least, used to be) rebellious in nature. One of the many genres that adopted the title of "Devil's Music", Jazz was considered counter-culture at its height. [[MoralGuardians Paranoid parents]] and the critical establishment disparaged it as "evil" and "vulgar", perhaps due to its initial popularity among [[ValuesDissonance African-Americans]] and its association with gangsters and drug use. ThoseWackyNazis considered Jazz to be "[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negermusik Negermusik]]" (negro music) tainted by Jewish influence and labelled it as "degenerate" and prohibited it. Non-traditional musical elements such as syncopation, dissonance, and [[UncommonTime unusual time signatures]] and chord progressions can make {{Jazz}} seem chaotic (many detractors described as "just noise") and thus menacing.

** Throughout "[[Recap/CowboyBebopSession6SympathyForTheDevil Sympathy for the Devil]]", a CreepyChild, Wen, is seen playing old blues-style harmonica.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog'': Dr. Facilier's VillainSong [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZAY-78zhmw "Friends on the Other Side"]]. While it being jazz isn't notable in itself (the film has a jazz-influenced soundtrack), the tempo, minor key, and call-and-response elements make the song much creepier than other songs from the film. What's more, the song seems to be bit of a tribute to ''WesternAnimation/MinnieTheMoocher'', another case of this trope. Facilier looks a bit like Cab Calloway, and the weird dancing and DisneyAcidSequence aspects are reminiscent of some of the old cartoons.

* The [[{{Bishonen}} Intersction's Pretty Boy]]'s theme song from the ''Creator/JunjiIto Collection'' anime. It's a mix of creepy, eerie, mysterious, and [[{{Sexophone}} even a little bit sexy]], highlighting his supernatural characteristics and otherworldly beauty.

** "[[Recap/CowboyBebopSession20PierrotLeFou Pierrot le Fou]]" is a notable {{inver|tedTrope}}sion: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUJVacmswM8 the music]] for the flashback to Mad Pierrot's origin is creepy because it's a minimalist, borderline ProgressiveRock song in a soundtrack practically dominated by the aforementioned jazz-infused GenreRoulette.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{The Return of Jafar}}'': Jafar gets a swingy VillainSong called "[[https://youtu.be/10S428LRcUY?t=1m14s You're Only Second Rate]]", where he beats Genie in a CurbStompBattle, all while gloating about his power.

Some possible {{Trope Codifier}}s are old black-and-white cartoons from the early days of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. Cartoons like these often paired catchy jazz music with {{Disney Acid Sequence}}s, {{Rotoscoping}} (which, to some people, falls into the UnintentioanalUncannyValley), and other types of DerangedAnimation.

Some possible {{Trope Codifier}}s are old black-and-white cartoons from the early days of UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation. Cartoons like these often paired catchy jazz music with {{Disney Acid Sequence}}s, {{Rotoscoping}} (which, to some people, falls into the UncannyValley), and other types of DerangedAnimation.