Phenomenon of Smooth Jazz

[ElectroVibe]

Wynton Marsalis is just opinionated almost verging on being obnoxious. I like Branford Marsalis music a lot more.

I like Pat Metheny who is kind of in the smooth territory sometimes, but his criticism of Kenny G made me lose a lot of respect for him, unfortunately.

 

[ElectroVibe]

If there had been a thought bubble over Miles’ head, I would imagine that there would be two words, starting with “m” and “f”, and they wouldn’t be “musician’s friend”.

I feel like a lot of people would like to have kept Miles Davis locked up in some kind of cage. Sad.

Maybe Miles actually liked his music. In fact I would bet on it that he did.

 

[brianrost]

soul jazz is nothing like smooth jazz. Soul jazz was popular in the early 60’s to mid 70’s. It’s essentially the rhythm section playing soul music (repetitive groove instead of walking/swinging).

And that's not a precursor of smooth jazz? OK, if you insist. The records sold well, they got played on the radio and the critics hated it. Sound familiar?

 

[ElectroVibe]

If it's all about the pay then it's simply about the pay and not art.

I think that some people just don't have a clue.

 

[ElectroVibe]

I thought that's what Kind Of Blue is for.

Boring. I doubt that Miles even played those songs very long after he recorded it.

 

[ElectroVibe]

I would venture to say that if it only appeals to a few people, it's not art and never has been.

 

[stringthrough]

Kenny G. had been in Lorber's band before going solo.

Yup, saw them together, live.

 

[crazyBassClown]

I would venture to say that if it only appeals to a few people, it's not art and never has been.

You seem to be mistaking entertainment and art, a very common thing. art is anything anyone wants to make. popularity is irrelevant to art. If it only appeals to a few people then it isn't very popular entertainment though.
Much art was completely unknown in the artists time, and appealed to virtually no one at the time.

 

[ajkula66]

... and here is a new discovery, Garo Tavitjan, 'Spectrum of Choices' ... so very nice...

Heh...for some of us, Mr. Tavitjan is anything but a "new discovery", having been the original drummer of one of the premier Eastern European jazz-rock bands, "Leb i Sol" 40+ years ago.

Here's a little piece from their debut album. A bunch of great musicians these people are...



"Kako Ti Drago" means "As You Please" while the name of the band translates to "Bread And Salt".

Leb i sol - Wikipedia

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I blame Kenny G.

Hey, don’t be dissing Kenny G. After all, he was the first musician to escape the elevator venue.

 

[Lesfunk]

Smooth jazz

 

[Paul New]

Kenny gorelick also recorded a Christmas album, yet he is a practicing Jew. That is as smooth jazz as it gets right there.

I, an atheist, played bass in a bluegrass gospel band for a few years. Is that smooth jazz or what?

 

[Paul New]

Art is a solitary activity done for one's own pleasure. Entertainment is something done for others.
You are far more likely to get paid as an entertainer than as an artist.
Choose wisely.

Nope.

 

[fretlessbass]

Smooth jazz began in the 80’s IMO. Before that it was jazz-funk or soul-jazz or r&b mixed with jazz. Think Tom Scott or the crusaders or George benson. Good stuff I listen to daily and love and wouldn’t classify as smooth jazz.

For me it went downhill when in the 80’s they added the corny and cheesy digital synths and still today that dominates the timbres. That was the start of smooth jazz. That stacked piano with strings patch, the crappy digital emulate of percussion elements (chimes especially), the midi keyboard horns, the synth pads layered behind everything, the terrible sampled drums which sound like the person has never programmed drums (or heard good sounding drum samples!) before, the digital synth orchestra patches, the oh so sugary sweet melodies, and lastly the endless and I mean endless covers of 60’s and 70’s soul and actual jazz songs but “smoothified” aka adding those crappy elements I mentioned before. It’s now a genre of its own and I despise most of it.

Your second paragraph enumerates, perfectly, why I dislike the style....
BTW Your words are almost exactly the same ones I use when attempting to explain to my wife why I’m not a fan....she absolutely loves the genre!

 

[dalkowski]

thank you! just got a father's day giftcard i will be buying that book. you made my day!

Thanks for the heads up, I just bought the Kindle version.

And now I can't find MY copy!

 

[lordradish]

But one can always dream...

I'm not a big fan of hip hop, but I'm not exactly lamenting the decline of rock, either.

 

[lordradish]

Wynton Marsalis is just opinionated almost verging on being obnoxious. I like Branford Marsalis music a lot more.

I like Pat Metheny who is kind of in the smooth territory sometimes, but his criticism of Kenny G made me lose a lot of respect for him, unfortunately.

I think his criticism was spot-on. What was wrong with it?

I agree, Branford's much more open-minded and adventurous.

 

[lordradish]

I, an atheist, played bass in a bluegrass gospel band for a few years. Is that smooth jazz or what?

I'm a hardcore atheist who's been playing in a gospel band for almost 20 years. I at least believe in the power of music.

 

[lordradish]

Smooth jazz began in the 80’s IMO. Before that it was jazz-funk or soul-jazz or r&b mixed with jazz. Think Tom Scott or the crusaders or George benson. Good stuff I listen to daily and love and wouldn’t classify as smooth jazz.

For me it went downhill when in the 80’s they added the corny and cheesy digital synths and still today that dominates the timbres. That was the start of smooth jazz. That stacked piano with strings patch, the crappy digital emulate of percussion elements (chimes especially), the midi keyboard horns, the synth pads layered behind everything, the terrible sampled drums which sound like the person has never programmed drums (or heard good sounding drum samples!) before, the digital synth orchestra patches, the oh so sugary sweet melodies, and lastly the endless and I mean endless covers of 60’s and 70’s soul and actual jazz songs but “smoothified” aka adding those crappy elements I mentioned before. It’s now a genre of its own and I despise most of it.

That second paragraph sums it up better than I could ever hope to.

 

[lfmn16]

One explanation is that smooth jazz isn't jazz, it's instrumental pop

Reminds me of an interview I read with Barney Kessel. They asked him what he thought about smooth jazz and he said, “I don’t know what it is, but it ain’t jazz.”