Smooth jazz
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Smooth jazz is a style of jazz that is generally downtempo or "chilled". It is a sometimes controversial term. Some jazz lovers do not consider "Smooth Jazz" a form of jazz at all, regarding it as a misleading marketing term that represents an attempt to hijack the prestige of the term "jazz" in order to sell what is really a form of muzak. Another criticism is that "Smooth Jazz" offers a watered-down, 'safe' Jazz-lite sound whose aim is to appeal to larger, more mainstream, mostly white, middle-class audiences.
Others contend that "Smooth Jazz" can indeed be a viable subgenre, arguing that it is narrowminded to try to turn jazz into a kind of museum exhibit, and point out the continuing cross-pollination that has occurred between jazz and R&B over the course of a century. Furthermore, they point out that the music of such widely respected musicians as Pat Metheny, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller and others are often classified as "smooth jazz," and that many musicians are capable of perfoming well in multiple styles.
Smooth jazz developed in part from jazz fusion, and tends to deemphasize improvisation. Creed Taylor's CTI Records was especially important in the form's development in the mid-1970s. Earlier, Wes Montgomery made a number of instrumental recordings of familiar pop songs which were aimed as much at pop audiences as at jazz fans; these records are often cited as important early smooth jazz.
A popular recent development is urban jazz, which incorporates the aspects of hip-hop. This style is aimed at audiences who would normally listen to urban contemporary radio stations that play a mix of hip-hop and R&B. Among the musicians who frequently perform urban jazz are Dave Koz, Boney James, Paul Jackson Jr., and former NBA player-turned-bassist Wayman Tisdale.
The construction of Smooth jazz as a radio format has its roots in the Beautiful music format, generally played in 15-minute sets (instrumentals bookending one or two vocal songs per set). In essence, today's Smooth jazz stations are no different than the Beautiful music stations of the 1960s through the 1980s. A contemporary example can be found here (http://www.smoothjazzdenver.com).
| Contents |
List of smooth jazz performers
Saxophonists
- Boney James
- Candy Dulfer
- Dave Koz
- David Sanborn
- Eric Darius
- Eric Marienthal
- Euge Groove
- Everette Harp
- Gato Barbieri
- George Howard
- Gerald Albright
- Grady Nichols
- Greg Vail
- Grover Washington, Jr.
- Jaared Arosemena
- Jeff Kashiwa
- Kenny G
- Kim Waters
- Kirk Whalum
- Marion Meadows
- Michael Lington
- Mike Phillips
- Mindi Abair
- Najee
- Nelson Rangell
- Pamela Williams
- Paul Taylor
- Richard Elliot
- Steve Cole
- Tim Cunningham
- Walter Beasley
- Warren Hill
Guitarists
- Armik
- Blake Aaron
- Brian Hughes
- Chieli Minucci
- Chris Camozzi
- Chris Standring
- Chuck Loeb
- Craig Chaquico
- Denny Jiosa
- Doc Powell
- Earl Klugh
- Eric Essix
- Fridrik Karlsson
- George Benson
- Gerald Miller
- Gerald Veasley
- Jeff Golub
- Johnathan Butler
- Joyce Cooling
- Juan Carlos Quintero
- Ken Navarro
- Larry Carlton
- Lee Ritenour
- Marc Antoine
- Michael O'Neill
- Nick Colionne
- Nils
- Norman Brown
- Pat Metheny
- Patrick Yandall
- Paul Jackson Jr.
- Peter White
- Ray Obiedo
- Richard Smith
- Russ Freeman
- Shahin & Sepehr
- Stanley Clarke
- Steve Oliver
- Thom Rotella
- Tim Bowman
- Zachary Breaux
Drums
Bassists
Trumpeters / Flugelhornists
Keyboardists
- Alex Bugnon
- Bill Sharpe
- Bob Baldwin
- Bob James
- Bobby Lyle
- Brian Culbertson
- Dave Grusin
- David Benoit
- David Lanz
- Freddie Ravel
- Gregg Karukas
- Hiroko Kokubu(o)
- Jeff Lorber
- Joe McBride
- Joe Sample
- John Tesh
- Keiko Matsui
- Lonnie Liston Smith
- Marcus Johnson
- Paul Hardcastle
- Philippe Saisse
- Ramsey Lewis
- Tim Heintz
- Tom Browne
Bands/Groups
- 3rd Force
- Acoustic Alchemy
- Avenue Blue
- Bona Fide
- BWB
- Count Basic
- Down to the Bone
- Fattburger
- Fourplay
- Gota
- Hiroshima
- Liquid Soul
- Matt Bianco
- Pieces of a Dream
- Praful
- Sade
- Santana
- Shakatak
- Soul Ballet
- Special EFX
- Spyro Gyra
- Spyro Gyra
- Streetwize
- The Braxton Brothers
- The Crusaders
- The Jazzmasters (Paul Hardcastle)
- The Rippingtons
- Tower of Power
- Urban Knights
- Yellowjackets
Vocalists
Other Instruments
Composers
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