Earth, Wind & Fire is an American musical group that spans various music genres such as jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, rock, and Latin musical styles. The bands founder and leader, Maurice White, embraced and helped bring about the evolution of pop music in the 1970s, which bridged the gap between the musical tastes of black and white America. The bands all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African music, and later on, disco. The bands eclecticism was part of a broader concept informed by a cosmic, mystical spirituality and an uplifting positivity. Earth, Wind & Fires accomplished songwriting, intricate, unpredictable arrangements, and firm grasp of hooks and structure made them one of the tightest bands in funk.