Smooth jazz is a type of music that combines elements of jazz with other styles to appeal to a wide audience. Some people call it a "genre," but others argue about whether it truly fits that category. On the radio, smooth jazz became a popular format that replaced easy listening music, which was commonly played from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s.
History
Smooth jazz is a type of music that became popular in the 1980s. It is a mix of jazz and other styles, such as easy-listening pop and simple R&B. It grew out of jazz fusion but focuses more on melodies instead of the unpredictable parts of jazz fusion.
In the mid-1970s in the United States, this music was called "smooth radio." The name "smooth jazz" was not used until the 1980s.
The term "smooth jazz" likely came from radio marketing. During a meeting in the late 1980s, someone suggested the phrase, and it became widely used.
Smooth jazz became a popular radio format in the 1980s and 1990s. However, its popularity decreased in the early 2000s. By 2009, many radio stations in cities like New York City, Washington, D.C., and Boston had stopped playing smooth jazz.
Pioneers and notable songs
Smooth jazz began in the early 1970s. Important songs and artists from this time include "Grazing in the Grass" (1968) by trumpeter Hugh Masekela, "Nautilus" (1974) by keyboardist Bob James, and "Mister Magic" (1975) by saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.
Other early popular songs include guitarist George Benson's 1976 version of "Breezin'" and flugelhorn player Chuck Mangione's "Feels So Good" (1977). Additional examples are "What You Won't Do for Love" by Bobby Caldwell (1978), jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra's 1979 instrumental song "Morning Dance," and the 1981 collaboration between Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers on "Just the Two of Us."
Smooth jazz became more popular during the 1980s and 1990s as artists such as Anita Baker, Sade, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington Jr., and Kenny G released many successful songs.
Critical and public reception
The smooth jazz genre faced criticism, especially from people who thought the music of popular saxophonist Kenny G was too simple and unexciting. His 1992 album Breathless was his most successful work.
George Graham, a music reviewer, said that the "smooth jazz" style, as seen in Kenny G's music, lacks the energy and creativity that characterized the best jazz from the 1970s, known as the fusion scene.
Before starting the UK jazz station theJazz, Digby Fairweather criticized the switch to smooth jazz on the now-closed radio station 102.2 Jazz FM. He claimed that the station's owners, GMG Radio, were responsible for trying to change the meaning of jazz in a way that true jazz fans in the M25 area would never forget or forgive.