Smooth Jazz
Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented sub-genre style of jazz music by R&B, funk, rock and pop music styles (separately, or in any combination).
Beginning in the early-1970s, jazz fusion (aka “fusion”) was a movement by some jazz musicians to merge the instrumental virtuosity and improvisation of traditional jazz, with a modern, electronic sensibility. The instrument that has become the most widely-associated with the genre is the saxophone inspired by players like: Grover Washington Jr., Ronnie Laws, Wayne Shorter and Nathan Davis; plus a gentle, legato electric guitar (influenced by players like Wes Montgomery and Grant Green). Jazz fusion ensembles such as Weather Report, Spyro Gyra, Hiroshima and Bob James’ Fourplay were vital to the development of the genre.
Modern derivatives of the genre includes the more recent New Adult Contemporary format broadcast radio. “Smooth jazz” has been successful as a radio format; however in 2007, the popularity of the format began to decline. Consequently, it was abandoned by several high-profile radio stations across the U.S.A., perhaps notably in New York and 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. Critics of the company, however, blame Clear Channel for the format’s decline, citing too much repetition of a sharply-reduced number of tracks on Clear Channel-owned stations that alienated many listeners. Despite the format’s demise on commercial radio, a growing number of non-commercial stations have taken up the music. In addition, smooth jazz concerts, recording sales – as well as increased smooth jazz offerings on the Internet – continue to show strong fan support for the genre.
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