Ryan, that’s a great point about the school of electric jazz being a different thing. Also, there’s skronk electric acts that merged free jazz with freak-out rock, e.g. Last Exit. Fusion had a particular sound which was very different. As a general rule I’d say that fusion was defined by Weather Report.

I’m a big fan of soul jazz, groove oriented stuff like The JBs, Booker T & the MGs, Charles Earland’s “Black Talk” record, Billy Butler (an electric guitarist).