Smooth jazz

For the Jones Radio Networks satellite service, see Smooth Jazz (radio network).

Smooth jazz
Stylistic origins	R&B Funk Pop music Jazz fusion
Cultural origins	1960s/1970s in the United States
Typical instruments	Guitar • Saxophone • Bass guitar • Piano • Trumpet • Flute • Drums • Synthesizers
Derivative forms	Sophisti-pop Urban jazz
Other topics
List of smooth jazz musicians

Smooth jazz is a musical style that grew out of jazz fusion and is heavily influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles (separately, or, in any combination).

Modern derivatives of the genre include the more-recent New Adult Contemporary format of broadcast radio. "Smooth jazz" has been successful as a radio format; however, in 2007, the popularity of the format began to slide. Consequently, it was abandoned by several high-profile radio stations across the U.S.A., perhaps most notably by WQCD (Now WRXP) in New York and KKSF in San Francisco. Many industry insiders have speculated that the smooth jazz format may die out, particularly with many of industry giant Clear Channel Communications' stations dropping the genre. However, smooth jazz concerts, recording sales — as well as increased smooth jazz offerings on the Internet — continue to show strong fan support for the genre.

Description

In general, a smooth jazz track is downtempo (the most widely played tracks are in the 90–105 BPM range), layering a lead, melody-playing instrument (saxophones – especially soprano and tenor – are the most popular, with guitars a close second) over a backdrop that typically consists of programmed rhythms and various pads and/or samples. Although many listeners and record companies group smooth and contemporary jazz together, the genres are different. Smooth jazz is generally considered background music, whereas "straight-ahead" contemporary jazz is seen as demanding the listener's undivided attention.

Origins

Smooth jazz can be traced to at least the late 1960s. Producer Creed Taylor worked with guitarist Wes Montgomery on three popular records (1967's A Day in the Life and Down Here on the Ground and 1968's Road Song) consisting of instrumental versions of familiar pop songs such as "Eleanor Rigby", "I Say a Little Prayer" and "Scarborough Fair". While jazz musicians had performed pop hits since the early 1900s, Montgomery's commercially successful albums were somewhat of a departure from this tradition, containing little of the complex improvisation of his earlier recordings and being aimed squarely at pop music audiences. Reviewing A Day In the Life, critic Scott Yannow writes, "although the jazz content is almost nil, the results are pleasing as background music."

From these commercially successful records with Montgomery, Taylor founded CTI Records. Many established jazz performers recorded for CTI (including Freddie Hubbard, Chet Baker, George Benson and Stanley Turrentine). The records recorded under Taylor's guidance were typically aimed as much at pop audiences as at jazz fans, with ornate string section arrangements, and a much stronger emphasis on melody than was typical in jazz. Some critics and jazz fans expressed a distaste for CTI releases, but much of the label's output is now generally well-regarded: Yanow writes, "Taylor had great success in balancing the artistic with the commercial." Hubbard's funk/fusion album Red Clay, issued by CTI and containing a lengthy cover of John Lennon's "Cold Turkey" and has been described as arguably "Hubbard's finest moment as a leader."

In the mid- to late-1970s, smooth jazz became established as a commercially viable genre. It was pioneered by such artists as Earl Klugh, Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Grover Washington, Jr., Spyro Gyra (with songs such as "Morning Dance"), George Benson, Chuck Mangione, Sérgio Mendes, David Sanborn, Tom Scott, Dave and Don Grusin, Bob James and Joe Sample.

Smooth jazz groups or recording artists tend to play their instruments in a melodic fashion such that they are recognizable within just a few measures; this category includes names such as saxophonists Kenny G, David Sanborn, the late George Howard, Najee and Art Porter, Jr.; guitarists George Benson, Marc Antoine, Peter White, and Yves Vincent; and pianists Joe Sample, David Benoit, and Bradley Joseph. Some performers, such as Dave Koz, Bob James, and Nathan East are notable for their numerous collaborations with many of the genre's big names. Groups include Fourplay, Pieces of a Dream, Acoustic Alchemy, Airborne and The Rippingtons. Female performers include Keiko Matsui, Joyce Cooling, Mindi Abair, Candy Dulfer, Sade, Brenda Russell, Pamela Williams, Regina Belle, and Anita Baker.

The Weather Channel released its first compilation album in 2007, The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz, based on collections of popular smooth jazz music played on the Local On the 8s segments. It peaked at #1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz charts in the same year. Artists represented include Joyce Cooling, Dave Koz, Paprika Soul, Four 80 East, Jeff Lorber, Pieces of a Dream, Chick Corea, Jeanne Ricks, Ryan Farish, Mark Krumowski, Najee, and 3rd Force. In 2008, their second compilation CD containing their most requested music was released, titled The Weather Channel Presents: Smooth Jazz II. Artists include Russ Freeman & The Rippingtons, Jeff Lorber, Ramsey Lewis Trio, Bradley Joseph, Bernie Williams, David Benoit, Spyro Gyra, Norman Brown, Chris Geith, Joe Sample, Charlie Parker Quartet, and Eric Marienthal.

Derivatives

A recent development is urban contemporary, which incorporates aspects of hip-hop. This style is aimed at audiences who would normally listen to 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., Nick Colionne, Bobby Perry, Urban Jazz Coalition, Streetwize, and Tha' Hot Club.

Urban jazz includes artists such as Bob Baldwin, Michael Lington, Brian Bromberg, David Lanz, Bobby Ricketts, Kim Waters, Daniele Caprelli, Ken Navarro, Walter Beasley, Peter White.

Another nascent trend involves the fusion of smooth jazz and electronica, the results of which are similar to what has, among electronica enthusiasts, come to be called "chill." Radio stations such as New York's WQCD and DJs such as Rafe Gomez pioneered the usage of playlists that blend tracks from both genres.

Public reception

The music of musicians like Pat Metheny, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, and Sting is often classified as smooth jazz, and many of these artists are capable of performing well in multiple styles, although Metheny has been one of the harshest critics of smooth jazz, namely in his denunciations of Kenny G. The Allmusic guide article on "fusion" states that "unfortunately, as it became a money-maker and as rock declined artistically from the mid-'70s on, much of what was labeled fusion was actually a combination of jazz with easy-listening pop music and lightweight R&B."

Music critic Piero Scaruffi has called pop-fusion music "...mellow, bland, romantic music" made by "mediocre musicians" and "derivative bands." Scaruffi criticized some of the albums of Michael and Randy Brecker as "trivial dance music" and stated that alto saxophonist David Sanborn recorded "[t]rivial collections" of "...catchy and danceable pseudo-jazz". Kenny G in particular is often criticized by both fusion and jazz fans, and some musicians, while having become a huge commercial success. Music reviewer George Graham argues that the “so-called ‘smooth jazz’ sound of people like Kenny G has none of the fire and creativity that marked the best of the fusion scene during its heyday in the 1970s”.

The over-30 audience in the US enjoys the melodic nature of the music, its frequent revival of Pop standards and its freedom from histrionic vocal lines). The appeal of smooth jazz is also developing in the late-teen and 20s age groups in East Asia (especially Japan) and in Europe. In particular, late-night coffee bars play smooth jazz in order to create an enticing late-night, non-alcoholic social atmosphere where conversation is encouraged.

In the United Kingdom, British jazz performer Digby Fairweather, before the launch 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."

Radio

Early history

Smooth jazz as a radio format has its roots in the construction of what were once called "beautiful music" stations, which generally played fifteen-minute sets consisting of instrumentals bookending a vocal song or two. The incubators of the format were specialty shows at night or on the weekends, in places such as Atlanta (WQXI-FM), Miami (WWWL-FM) and San Antonio (KTFM). The first jazz radio station to attempt to reach an audience beyond hardcore jazz fans full-time was New York's WRVR-FM, which was acquired by Sonderling Broadcasting in 1976. Under its new management, WRVR more than tripled its audience by emphasizing artists like George Benson and Pat Metheny that were crossing over to more popular formats. Other early pioneers included WLOQ in Orlando, Florida (which began programming such a format in 1977), Russ Davis in Atlanta and "Jazz Flavours", Ross Block, Dave Caprita and Stu Grant at Love 94FM with "Sunday Morning Jazz" in Miami and Art Good at KIFM San Diego with "Lights Out San Diego".

After programmer Frank Cody began "The Wave" KTWV in Los Angeles and the simultaneous KIFM (San Diego) and the eclectic KKSF (San Francisco), another wave of "Smooth Jazz" stations banking on "The Wave's" softer sound grew quickly. Those included "Breezin' 100.7" in Milwaukee and KHIH in Denver programmed by consultant Gary Guthrie, WNUA (Chicago) consulted by Cody, WVAE and WJZZ in Detroit, WNWV in Cleveland, Ohio, and the re-launch of WQCD (CD101.9), New York. Also Love94FM [WWWL, later WLVE] in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, an early innovator with its "Sunday Morning Jazz" show went totally smooth jazz by 1990, not long after The Wave in Los Angeles had switched to the format. The format had been deemed "New Age" originally and radio stations like WNUA Chicago and KNUA Seattle emulated the phrase in their call letters.

In the late 80's, research firm Cody/Leach conducted a study for WNUA/Chicago; it was through the verbatim responses from listeners that the name "Smooth Jazz" was identified. WNUA then adopted the slogan "Smooth Rock, Smooth Jazz". Under the direction of General Manager John Gehron, "Smooth Rock" was dropped. Cody is credited with making "Smooth Jazz" a household name, giving rise to its nationwide proliferation through the firm Broadcast Architecture, the widely syndicated “The Jazz Show with David Sanborn” and his association with saxophonist Dave Koz. Cody was also responsible for overseeing the launch of the now defunct Satellite Music Network's syndicated "Wave" format.

"Smooth jazz" has gone on to be recognized as a successful radio format, first emerging in name in the mid- to late-1980s (often, they would be transitioned from existing "new age" stations) and subsequently spreading into most radio markets within the United States and many without.

Smooth jazz radio today

Recent problems

The smooth jazz radio format continued to grow and thrive through the 1990s and early 2000s, though in the late 2000s most markets began losing smooth jazz stations. In a number of media markets, this format is no longer available over the air except online or on HD Radio. Currently, the most prominent of the few remaining commercial smooth jazz stations are WSJW in the Harrisburg/York, Pennsylvania, region, WSBZ in Destin, Florida, and WEIB in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Three of the originators of the smooth jazz format - WQCD in New York City, WNUA in Chicago, and KKSF in San Francisco - have all signed off in the last several years. WQCD became album-rocker WRXP on February 5, 2008; KKSF shifted to classic rock as "The Band" on May 18, 2009; and just four days later, WNUA abruptly dropped the format for "Mega" (a Spanish pop format). The demise of these pioneering smooth jazz stations seems particularly indicative of the problems within the format. However, the format soon made a minor comeback in Chicago, as low-power TV station WLFM-LP - which broadcasts on Channel 6, allowing its audio portion to be heard at 87.75 MHz on most FM radios - switched from alternative country to Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz feed as "87.7, Chicago's Smooth Jazz." A similar situation has unfolded in Anchorage, Alaska, where smooth jazz KNIK-FM disappeared from its old frequency of 105.7 (replaced by KNLT, a soft A/C station) and was revived on TV Channel 6 with the audio portion available at 87.7, featuring a mix of contemporary and traditional jazz.

Smooth jazz has also disappeared from commercial radio in most other major or medium-sized markets, including Cleveland; Detroit; Miami; Atlanta; Cincinnati; Dallas; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Baltimore; Washington; Houston; Indianapolis; Sacramento; Dayton, Ohio; Milwaukee; Columbus, Ohio; and most recently, Tampa, Florida, Lansing, Michigan and Modesto, California. Many of these stations continue to program smooth jazz via HD subchannels or online streams.

Reasons

The decline in popularity of the smooth jazz format has been blamed on a variety of factors, including lack of exposing compelling new music, over-reliance on instrumental cover versions of pop songs similar to the mostly-defunct Beautiful Music format, and Arbitron's PPM reports showing lower ratings returns for smooth jazz stations than the traditional diary system had. Lack of revenue and the genre not being viable during the current economic crisis have also been cited as reasons. Many purists of the format also feel that the smooth jazz interpretation has strayed too far from its roots in contemporary jazz and new age music by over-relying on soft urban vocals, with R&B artists such as Beyonce Knowles and Aretha Franklin now staples of many smooth-jazz playlists. Others indicate that the repetition of the same tracks on stations -- particularly those owned by Clear Channel -- and the reduction of artists recording tracks resulting in fewer tracks for airplay may have also contributed to the decline.

Time to stop complaining about it not being the way it used to be ... and start embracing the way it is and the way it’s going to be in the future ... whatever that may be! Hello, Tomorrow.

— Dave Koz

American saxophonist Dave Koz responded back in November 2009 to the claims that the smooth jazz radio genre was in decline by stating that although the audience has aged and not enough young people were embracing the format, making it harder to gain advertising revenue, the genre is still seeing the support in record sales and audiences at shows. He also suggested that the format may move from a genre covered by big FM stations to one covered by smaller stations, in particular Internet radio stations (such as Boomer Radio Smooth Jazz Favorites) which were showing an increase in popularity.

Some of the former terrestrial smooth jazz stations, including the former KHJZ in Houston, the former WJZW in Washington, WVMV in Detroit, and the former WQCD in New York, continue to offer smooth jazz programming as Internet streams or as offerings on their HD subchannels. Some stations which are still providing smooth jazz and are still popular in their respective markets, including Jazz FM in the United Kingdom are integrating traditional and popular jazz and jazz standards alongside smooth jazz tracks in their playlists.

The Smooth AC format

One tack several smooth jazz stations have taken, in order to attract more younger listeners (particularly in the important 25-54 age demographic) without completely alienating jazz fans, is to evolve the format into a hybrid known as Smooth Adult Contemporary. Smooth AC stations play more of the vocalists popular on smooth jazz stations, such as Luther Vandross, Sade, Robin Thicke, Anita Baker, and Basia, while incorporating more mainstream and urban AC material from artists such as Celine Dion, Mary J. Blige, and Maroon 5 and limiting instrumentals to two or three cuts an hour (and usually restricting airplay of instrumentals to artists such as Kenny G, Dave Koz and Chuck Mangione who have had crossover pop success).

One of the first high-profile stations to adopt the Smooth AC approach was pioneering smooth-jazz station KTWV in Los Angeles ("The Wave"), under new program director Jhani Kaye. KTWV's transition was successful in improving the station's 25-54 ratings, and since then several other smooth-jazz stations have made a similar transition, including WXJZ in Gainesville, Florida, WLOQ in Orlando, Florida, and most recently, KIFM in San Diego, which switched to smooth AC in March 2011 in response to rapidly falling 25-54 ratings (the station had plunged to 23rd place in that demographic in the most recently available Arbitron ratings). KJZY in the Santa Rosa, California, market also supplements its homegrown Smooth AC format with some adult standards artists like Tony Bennett, Rod Stewart, and Frank Sinatra.

KTWV and KIFM continue to program "traditional" smooth jazz formats on HD subchannels; KIFM's HD-2 features "Pure Smooth Jazz," while KTWV programs "Wave Classics," featuring vintage smooth jazz cuts no longer played on the main station, on its HD-2.

Non-commercial and AM stations

By 2009, as smooth jazz continued its rapid decline on the commercial radio airwaves, a growing number of non-commercial stations have taken up the music and added it to their programming. Among non-commercial stations now playing smooth jazz include WVSU in Birmingham, Alabama; WFSS in Fayetteville, North Carolina; WRMU in Alliance, Ohio; WFSK in Nashville, Tennessee; KBBG in Waterloo, Iowa; and KUNV in Las Vegas, Nevada.

One of the oldest non-commercial smooth jazz radio programs in the country is "The Quiet Storm," which airs weekly on the community-based WGDR-FM in Plainfield, Vermont, owned by Goddard College. Launched in 1998 and hosted by Skeeter Sanders, "The Quiet Storm" -- actually a 50-50 mix of smooth jazz and soft R&B -- takes its name from the early-evening program pioneered in 1976 by WHUR-FM in Washington, D.C. and duplicated with great success as a 24-hour format three years later by KBLX-FM in San Francisco.

Elsewhere, WONB-FM in Ada, Ohio, owned by Ohio Northern University, offers similar programs of "smooth jazz and urban vocals" on Sundays. In Northwest Ohio, Bluffton University's WBWH-LP features a Smooth Jazz, Smooth Vocals and Chill music show called "The Chillout Sessions" with host Donald Isaac on Sunday Nights. One station in Portland, Oregon, KKCW, devotes its HD2 channel to smooth jazz exclusively and without commercial interruption. A handful of other low-power FM (LPFM) stations also offer the smooth jazz format, among them WGRV-LP in Melbourne, Florida and nearby communities via a translator network.

In some markets, the smooth jazz format has also found a new home on the AM dial. In Reno, Nevada, KBDB-AM switched from regional Mexican programming to Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network several months after the format was dropped by KJZS-FM in its format switch to country music. In Atlanta, another market where the format has vanished from the FM dial, AM station WPBC picked up Broadcast Architecture's feed for weekend programming. Another AM station programming the format is KQJZ in Kalispell, Montana, at 1340 AM, which simulcasts on an FM translator at 103.5.

Specialty shows

It is not uncommon for adult contemporary music or urban AC stations to devote some of their weekend programming to the format in an effort to serve a niche market without devoting an entire station to it. Some examples include WZUN in Syracuse, New York, WMXC in Mobile, Alabama, and WSOL in Jacksonville, Florida. WZTK in Burlington, North Carolina, a talk station, also devotes most of its weekend programming to smooth jazz.

Syndicated shows

In January 2007, Broadcast Architecture launched the satellite-delivered Smooth Jazz Network, featuring smooth jazz artists Dave Koz, Kenny G, Norman Brown, Brian Culbertson, Paul Hardcastle and Ramsey Lewis as on-air hosts. The network soon spread to 25 markets across the US, with among its more notable affiliates including WJCD in Norfolk, Virginia; WJZL in Lansing, Michigan; WQJZ in Ocean Pines, Maryland; KJZS in Reno, Nevada; WKYL in Lexington, Kentucky; KORL in Honolulu, Hawaii; WAEG in Savannah, Georgia; and WAUN in Green Bay, Wisconsin. WLFM-LP in Chicago also began as a 100% satellite-fed Broadcast Architecture affiliate, but has since gone to mostly local programming during weekday daytime dayparts, with the satellite feed filling most of the remainder of the schedule. Of these stations, only KORL, WAEG, and WKYL continue to broadcast the Smooth Jazz Network; WJCD, WQJZ, WJZL and KJZS have all switched to other formats (although the format was relaunched on a smaller AM station in Reno), and WAUN and WLFM-LP have evolved to the related Smooth AC format.

In addition to KORL, WAEG, and WKYL, the Smooth Jazz Network is also carried on KUJJ in Walla Walla, Washington; KQJZ in Kalispell, Montana; KMYT in Temecula, California; KJJZ in Palm Springs, California; KYZK in Sun Valley, Idaho; translator W284BQ "The Oasis" in Detroit, Michigan, simulcasting the HD-2 feed of WGPR-FM; and weekends on WPBC-AM in Atlanta, Georgia, and WOWE in Flint, Michigan. It is also programmed on HD Radio subchannels in various markets, including San Francisco, Washington, Miami, Baltimore, Houston, Nashville, Memphis, St. Louis, San Antonio, and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

In response to the growing trend toward Smooth AC, Broadcast Architecture has also begun marketing a Smooth AC Network (formerly named "Chillout Radio Network", despite the lack of so-called chill music in the network's playlist, and then renamed "Bright Radio Network" before the final name change to "Smooth AC") featuring the same air talent as the Smooth Jazz Network. The first Smooth AC Network affiliated station was KOCD in the Tulsa, Oklahoma market, but that station has since switched format to adult hits. However, a handful of other stations have since picked up the network, including WXJZ, KYOT, and former Smooth Jazz Network affiliates WAUN and WLFM-LP (although the latter features primarily local programming during weekdays, with Network programming used including Dave Koz's afternoon drive show and most weekend programming).

The current air talent lineup on the Smooth Jazz Network includes Kenny G and Sandy Kovach (formerly of the late WVMV "V98.7" Detroit) mornings, Miranda Wilson middays, Dave Koz during afternoon drive, and Maria Lopez evenings and overnights, with weekend personalities including Norman Brown, Paul Hardcastle, and Allan Kepler's Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown. The Smooth AC network features the same lineup except for the morning show which is hosted by Brian Culbertson.

Other weekly syndicated smooth jazz radio shows include the long running Art Good's Jazztrax, "Chill" with saxophonist Mindi Abair, Ramsey Lewis' "Legends Of Jazz" and the weekly two-hour Dave Koz Radio Show. In the summer of 2007, Broadcast Architecture launched the format's first ever national countdown show, the "Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown with Allen Kepler". The Smooth Jazz Top 20 now airs in more than 20 radio stations.

Elements of the smooth jazz format are also present in the Timeless Cool format distributed by Timeless Cool Music, Inc., which features a mixture of smooth and traditional jazz with adult standards by artists like Ray Charles, Madeleine Peyroux, and Bobby Darin and adult alternative performers such as Jack Johnson, Amy Winehouse, and Annie Lennox.

Until September 30, 2008, Jones Radio Networks also distributed a smooth-jazz format via satellite. This network was discontinued following Jones Radio Networks' purchase by Triton Media Group, owners of the Dial Global stable of 24/7 formats, and Triton's decision to eliminate Smooth Jazz from its portfolio. Jones' Smooth Jazz network had dwindled to only a handful of affiliates at the time the format was discontinued; most of the remaining Jones stations (i.e. WJZL and WQJZ) were switched over to Broadcast Architecture's network.

Smooth jazz radio internationally

The smooth-jazz format is less common in Canada, possibly due to Canadian Content regulations and a relative lack of high-profile Canadian smooth-jazz artists (with some exceptions such as Diana Krall and Michael Bublé). Two of the more notable smooth jazz stations in Canada include CIWV-FM (The Wave) in Hamilton, Ontario (which also reaches parts of the Toronto market) and CJGV-FM (Groove FM) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, although Montreal's French-language CKLX-FM is a mainstream jazz station playing partially smooth jazz (sister station CHLX-FM in the Ottawa/Hull area also plays a mix of traditional and smooth jazz) and CHMC-FM in Edmonton, Alberta as an AC/smooth jazz hybrid.

New and innovative material from the UK, Europe and Australia has largely failed to gain airplay in the US. Well financed and often government-funded radio organisations in the UK, Europe and Australia, coupled with technical developments in the digital radio field, have led to the launch of a number of smooth jazz radio stations in these markets and their playlists are substantially more diverse than in the US.

In the UK however, the only radio station that regularly played smooth jazz was 102.2 Jazz FM in London and 100.4 Jazz FM in the North West. Upon takeover by the Guardian Media Group in 2003, the station started to create playlists predominantly consisting of easy listening soul and pop. Finally, in March 2004 in the North West and in June 2005 in London, the station changed its name to Smooth FM, and dropped smooth jazz from its playlists altogether. At the same time, GMG launched jazzfm.com in some parts of the UK which after closing in some areas. However, as part of its relaunch, smooth jazz and funk has also been played alongside more mainstream and traditional jazz output as played by former UK jazz station theJazz. On October 6, 2008 jazzfm.com was relaunched under a three year deal with The Local Radio Company to relaunch Jazz FM with smooth jazz output in the daytime and early hours of the morning.

See also

• List of smooth jazz musicians
• Quiet Storm
• Sophisti-pop

Record labels

• GRP
• Higher Octave
• Instinct Records
• Narada Productions
• Native Language
• Heads Up International
• Windham Hill
• NuGroove
• A&M
• Narada
• Blue Note, in its later incarnations