Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 1980s, displacing the more venturesome jazz fusion from which it emerged. It avoids the improvisational "risk-taking" of jazz fusion, emphasizing melodic form and much of the music was initially "a combination of jazz with easy-listening pop music and lightweight R&B".[1][2]
During the mid-1970s in the United States it was known as "smooth radio", and was not termed "smooth jazz" until the 1980s.[3]
The smooth jazz genre experienced a backlash exemplified by critical complaints about the "bland" sound of top-selling saxophonist Kenny G, whose popularity peaked with his 1992 album Breathless.[3]
Music reviewer George Graham argues that the "so-called 'smooth jazz' sound of people like Kenny G has none of the fire and creativity[5] that marked the best of the fusion scene during its heyday in the 1970s".[6]
Digby Fairweather, before the start of UK jazz station theJazz, denounced the change to a smooth jazz format on defunct radio station 102.2 Jazz FM, stating that the owners GMG Radio were responsible for the "attempted rape and (fortunately abortive) re-definition of the music — is one that no true jazz lover within the boundaries of the M25 will ever find it possible to forget or forgive."[7]
smooth, jazz, radio, network, smooth, jazz, radio, network, radio, format, radio, genre, commercially, oriented, crossover, jazz, easy, listening, music, that, became, dominant, 1970s, early, 1990s, chuck, mangione, brampton, 2009stylistic, originsjazz, fusion. For the radio network see Smooth Jazz radio network For the radio format see Smooth jazz radio Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially oriented crossover jazz and easy listening music that became dominant in the mid 1970s to the early 1990s Smooth jazzChuck Mangione in Brampton in 2009Stylistic originsJazz fusionpoprhythm and bluessoulCultural origins1970s United StatesFusion genresCrossover jazzOther topicsList of musicians Contents 1 History 2 Notable artists 3 Critical and public reception 4 See also 5 ReferencesHistory EditSmooth jazz is a commercially oriented crossover jazz which came to prominence in the 1980s displacing the more venturesome jazz fusion from which it emerged It avoids the improvisational risk taking of jazz fusion emphasizing melodic form and much of the music was initially a combination of jazz with easy listening pop music and lightweight R amp B 1 2 During the mid 1970s in the United States it was known as smooth radio and was not termed smooth jazz until the 1980s 3 Notable artists EditThe mid to late 1970s included songs Breezin as performed by another smooth jazz pioneer guitarist George Benson in 1976 the instrumental composition Feels So Good by flugelhorn player Chuck Mangione in 1978 What You Won t Do for Love by Bobby Caldwell along with his debut album was released the same year jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra s instrumental Morning Dance released in 1979 3 and in 1981 a collaboration between Grover Washington Jr and Bill Withers was released as one of the most popular smooth jazz songs Just the Two of Us Smooth jazz grew in popularity in the 1980s as Anita Baker Sade Al Jarreau Grover Washington Jr and Kenny G released multiple hit songs 4 Critical and public reception EditThe smooth jazz genre experienced a backlash exemplified by critical complaints about the bland sound of top selling saxophonist Kenny G whose popularity peaked with his 1992 album Breathless 3 Music reviewer George Graham argues that the so called smooth jazz sound of people like Kenny G has none of the fire and creativity 5 that marked the best of the fusion scene during its heyday in the 1970s 6 Digby Fairweather before the start of UK jazz station theJazz denounced the change to a smooth jazz format on defunct radio station 102 2 Jazz FM stating that the owners GMG Radio were responsible for the attempted rape and fortunately abortive re definition of the music is one that no true jazz lover within the boundaries of the M25 will ever find it possible to forget or forgive 7 See also EditLofi hip hop Mallsoft Quiet storm Sophisti pop Yacht rockReferences Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Smooth jazz Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jazz Fusion AllMusic Retrieved October 7 2019 Jazz Fusion Smooth Jazz AllMusic Retrieved October 7 2019 a b c Gioia Ted May 9 2011 The History of Jazz Oxford University Press p 337 ISBN 9780195399707 Larson Thomas 2002 History and Tradition of Jazz Kendall Hunt p 188 ISBN 9780787275747 How smooth jazz took over the 90s Vox on YouTube Graham George review Fairweather Digby 2006 11 18 New Jazz Station Goodbye to the Smooth Hello to the Classics Fly Global Music Culture Archived from the original on 2008 03 04 Retrieved 2008 02 16 Portal Jazz Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Smooth jazz amp oldid 1150388684, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
