Smooth Jass, ANY1?

[7/4]

Smooth jazz is lot like that drug described in the movie Jacob's Ladder, that is, very likely used and abused by The Man in the alternate universe, for example by helmeted fuzz for crowd control and dispersion.  Better than pepper spray at high volumes, and even better yet at sublimal levels.  I think US AG Gonzalez favors SJ, if I am not mistaken.  SJ could have been what pushed our guys over the line at Abu Ghraib, we'll know some day.

Amir.

Do you think there is a possibility that some jazz fans can appear elitist when they talk about 'smooth jazz'?

I work with people that like me have a broad interest in music, but have a particular one they like. Now I have made countless CD's for them, with various jazz tracks. But what they seem to like is the Washington/Kenny G stuff.

What am I to make of this?

Che.

You work with some really boring people?

[AfricaBrass]

Smooth jazz is lot like that drug described in the movie Jacob's Ladder, that is, very likely used and abused by The Man in the alternate universe, for example by helmeted fuzz for crowd control and dispersion.  Better than pepper spray at high volumes, and even better yet at sublimal levels.   I think US AG Gonzalez favors SJ, if I am not mistaken.  SJ could have been what pushed our guys over the line at Abu Ghraib, we'll know some day.

Amir.

Do you think there is a possibility that some jazz fans can appear elitist when they talk about 'smooth jazz'?

I work with people that like me have a broad interest in music, but have a particular one they like. Now I have made countless CD's for them, with various jazz tracks. But what they seem to like is the Washington/Kenny G stuff.

What am I to make of this?

Che.

You work with some really boring people?

I think WE'RE the anomaly. I have worked in SO MANY places where the bosses had CRAP taste in music. It's like they didn't get the music lover gene, which also allows them to be successful while music lovers (like myself with that gene) work for them and have to hear their crappy Boney James cds blaring out of their office.

[AmirBagachelles]

I think if they like it and they are into it, it's not smooth jazz. It may be something that engages them further and opens up their minds. (I seem to recall hearing Ronnie Laws albums in college and really liking them.) I define smooth jazz as just aural programmed tripe that people use to fill in the cracks in their ears/minds. We elitists don't like it because it seems to hurt the commercial case for authentic jazz.

[AfricaBrass]

I don't think I'm elitist. I just don't enjoy smooth jazz because most of it is BORING.

I don't see any reason to listen to music that IMO sucks.

Edited March 2, 2005 by AfricaBrass

[Guest che]

Smooth jazz is lot like that drug described in the movie Jacob's Ladder, that is, very likely used and abused by The Man in the alternate universe, for example by helmeted fuzz for crowd control and dispersion.  Better than pepper spray at high volumes, and even better yet at sublimal levels.   I think US AG Gonzalez favors SJ, if I am not mistaken.  SJ could have been what pushed our guys over the line at Abu Ghraib, we'll know some day.

Amir.

Do you think there is a possibility that some jazz fans can appear elitist when they talk about 'smooth jazz'?

I work with people that like me have a broad interest in music, but have a particular one they like. Now I have made countless CD's for them, with various jazz tracks. But what they seem to like is the Washington/Kenny G stuff.

What am I to make of this?

Che.

You work with some really boring people?

Well in many other aspects of their lives they appear not to be. I have this good friend of mine who is a play therapist, now she has a wide range of interest in music. She is a big fan of folk and classical music, but when it comes to jazz ( and she is one of those I have made various CD's for) she appears pretty closed.

Che.

[Guest che]

I think if they like it and they are into it, it's not smooth jazz. It may be something that engages them further and opens up their minds. (I seem to recall hearing Ronnie Laws albums in college and really liking them.) I define smooth jazz as just aural programmed tripe that people use to fill in the cracks in their ears/minds. We elitists don't like it because it seems to hurt the commercial case for authentic jazz.

Amir.

What resonates for me in this post is the phrase "authentic jazz", could you tell me a little more about what you mean by this?

Che.

[AfricaBrass]

I think if they like it and they are into it, it's not smooth jazz. It may be something that engages them further and opens up their minds. (I seem to recall hearing Ronnie Laws albums in college and really liking them.)  I define smooth jazz as just aural programmed tripe that people use to fill in the cracks in their ears/minds.  We elitists don't like it because it seems to hurt the commercial case for authentic jazz.

Amir.

What resonates for me in this post is the phrase "authentic jazz", could you tell me a little more about what you mean by this?

Che.

Maybe that's jazz that doesn't just stick to the melody...

or have robotic backing tracks

or makes your brain hurt from the shear repetitiveness of its drabness

or doesn't make you want to hit your head against the wall over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Nah... I don't mind smooth jazz at all.

[Guest che]

I don't think I'm elitist. I just don't enjoy smooth jazz because most of it is BORING.

I don't see any reason to listen to music that IMO sucks.

I hear what you are saying, but jazz is a broad church and there is stuff I do not like. I am not a great fan of Dave Brubeck, but many many peole like his kind of music.

My interest in trying to see what other people see, I do not want to live in the Kingdom of the blind

Che.

[AfricaBrass]

I don't think I'm elitist. I just don't enjoy smooth jazz because most of it is BORING.

I don't see any reason to listen to music that IMO sucks.     

I hear what you are saying, but jazz is a broad church and there is stuff I do not like. I am not a great fan of Dave Brubeck, but many many peole like his kind of music.

My interest in trying to see what other people see, I do not want to live in the Kingdom of the blind

Che.

I'm just teasing around. I realize there are many flavors of jazz, and I guess smooth jazz is one of them. It just doesn't do much for me because it's more like rock or pop music played on instruments normally associated with jazz.

It would be like a jazz album where the group stated the melody, but unlike jazz, where they go off from there, smooth jazzers just stick to that melody. I know some good players play the stuff, but there just isn't room to go into the territories I love in jazz.

[Guest che]

I don't think I'm elitist. I just don't enjoy smooth jazz because most of it is BORING.

I don't see any reason to listen to music that IMO sucks.     

I hear what you are saying, but jazz is a broad church and there is stuff I do not like. I am not a great fan of Dave Brubeck, but many many peole like his kind of music.

My interest in trying to see what other people see, I do not want to live in the Kingdom of the blind

Che.

I'm just teasing around. I realize there are many flavors of jazz, and I guess smooth jazz is one of them. It just doesn't do much for me because it's more like rock or pop music played on instruments normally associated with jazz.

It would be like a jazz album where the group stated the melody, but unlike jazz, where they go off from there, smooth jazzers just stick to that melody. I know some good players play the stuff, but there just isn't room to go into the territories I love in jazz.

Hey Brother I was just teasing to

I hate the stuff, but many people buy it and even I have some of the stuff now

Che.

[Guest che]

I think if they like it and they are into it, it's not smooth jazz. It may be something that engages them further and opens up their minds. (I seem to recall hearing Ronnie Laws albums in college and really liking them.)  I define smooth jazz as just aural programmed tripe that people use to fill in the cracks in their ears/minds.  We elitists don't like it because it seems to hurt the commercial case for authentic jazz.

Amir.

What resonates for me in this post is the phrase "authentic jazz", could you tell me a little more about what you mean by this?

Che.

Maybe that's jazz that doesn't just stick to the melody...

or have robotic backing tracks

or makes your brain hurt from the shear repetitiveness of its drabness

or doesn't make you want to hit your head against the wall over and over and over and over over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Nah... I don't mind smooth jazz at all.

Che.

[7/4]

"Smooth jazz" isn't jazz, it's pop instrumental music.

[.:.impossible]

The music that I would associate with that term is just instrumental r&b, lacking any trace of dynamic rhythm or blues. There isn't much about it that I would even consider relative to jazz. Unfortunately, many people think it IS jazz. I'm sure people think this is what I listen to when I tell them I listen to jazz. Then I put on Birth & Rebirth and walk away.

[nemo7]

You know, guess maybe probably shoulda placed this discussion in the Miscellaneous Music forum. Anywho, I recall seeing a bumper sticker on a vehicle being used to transfer musicians @ a concert and it said "there is no such thing as smooth jazz".

[Guest che]

"Smooth jazz" isn't jazz, it's pop instrumental music.

Maybe but is this the future of jazz?

Groups like EST and solo artists like Jan Garbarek seem to be blur the lines between jazz and 'pop-jazz.

Che.

[Guest che]

The music that I would associate with that term is just instrumental r&b, lacking any trace of dynamic rhythm or blues. There isn't much about it that I would even consider relative to jazz. Unfortunately, many people think it IS jazz. I'm sure people think this is what I listen to when I tell them I listen to jazz. Then I put on Birth & Rebirth and walk away.

Agreed.

So why do so many people seem to like it?

Che.

[7/4]

"Smooth jazz" isn't jazz, it's pop instrumental music.

Maybe but is this the future of jazz?

Keep this up Che and we're going to wash your mouth out with soap.

...or your keyboard or you hands or something. The future??? I sure hope not!

[Guest che]

"Smooth jazz" isn't jazz, it's pop instrumental music.

Maybe but is this the future of jazz?

Keep this up Che and we're going to wash your mouth out with soap.

...or your keyboard or you hands or something. The future??? I sure hope not!

You can try Brother B-)

I have friends in high places

Che.

[AfricaBrass]

"Smooth jazz" isn't jazz, it's pop instrumental music.

Maybe but is this the future of jazz?

Keep this up Che and we're going to wash your mouth out with soap.

...or your keyboard or you hands or something. The future??? I sure hope not!

I hope this isn't the future of jazz.

I wish they would have called it sax-pop or something instead of smooth jazz. I still wouldn't like it much, but I wouldn't have to worry about someone telling me they like jazz and proceeding to mention Dave Koz. Have you ever noticed the names of smooth jazz guys; Kenny G, Dave Koz, Boney James. Those are pretty bad names. If I called myself Boney, I would be alone-y.

[Guest che]

"Smooth jazz" isn't jazz, it's pop instrumental music.

Maybe but is this the future of jazz?

Keep this up Che and we're going to wash your mouth out with soap.

...or your keyboard or you hands or something. The future??? I sure hope not!

Increasingly we seem to be seeing the emergence of a kind of jazz, that blends other types of music. Be this hip hop, rap, rock or pop and it sells, so my comment was a thought on the direction that jazz music is going, as it finds it harder to find commercial outlets.

Any thoughts?

Che.

[Guest che]

"Smooth jazz" isn't jazz, it's pop instrumental music.

Maybe but is this the future of jazz?

Keep this up Che and we're going to wash your mouth out with soap.

...or your keyboard or you hands or something. The future??? I sure hope not!

I hope this isn't the future of jazz.

I wish they would have called it sax-pop or something instead of smooth jazz. I still wouldn't like it much, but I wouldn't have to worry about someone telling me they like jazz and proceeding to mention Dave Koz. Have you ever noticed the names of smooth jazz guys; Kenny G, Dave Koz, Boney James. Those are pretty bad names. If I called myself Boney, I would be alone-y.

You know here in the UK we had one commercial Jazz Radio station Jazz FM. then a few years doen the line (recently), it changed its name to 'Smooth FM'. Its jazz content was always poor, but this takes the biscuit!

Che.

[AfricaBrass]

Increasingly we seem to be seeing the emergence of a kind of jazz, that blends other types of music. Be this hip hop, rap, rock or pop and it sells, so my comment was a thought on the direction that jazz music is going, as it finds it harder to find commercial outlets.

Any thoughts?

Che.

I like seeing jazz grow and develop. I'm very open to musicians stretching the boundaries. I think the "young lions" movement did so much damage to jazz because it seemed to target a certain period and claim "that" was jazz.

If we had someone come along with a leap on the level of Bebop, I'm sure it might be hard to embrace at first. This is a thread on smooth jazz, a medium which is not a leap in any way, but a real leap forward in jazz would be very interesting to me.

My litmus test for music is: If an artist is skilled and passionate about what they're doing, I'll give them a chance. This goes for almost any style of music. If they're just going through the motions, I'm not going to waste my time.

[Guest che]

Increasingly we seem to be seeing the emergence of a kind of jazz, that blends other types of music. Be this hip hop, rap, rock or pop and it sells, so my comment was a thought on the direction that jazz music is going, as it finds it harder to find commercial outlets.

Any thoughts?

Che.

I like seeing jazz grow and develop. I'm very open to musicians stretching the boundaries. I think the "young lions" movement did so much damage to jazz because it seemed to target a certain period and claim "that" was jazz.

If we had someone come along with a leap on the level of Bebop, I'm sure it might be hard to embrace at first. This is a thread on smooth jazz, a medium which is not a leap in any way, but a real leap forward in jazz would be very interesting to me.

My litmus test for music is: If an artist is skilled and passionate about what they're doing, I'll give them a chance. This goes for almost any style of music. If they're just going through the motions, I'm not going to waste my time.

Here in the UK we have many 'Young Lions', musicians like Tony Kofi and Soweto Kinch for example. What they have in common is that they are aware of jazz history, but also of their own cultural roots and influences, and what attracts people to music.

This involves an awareness of 'what may sell', of the commercial side of jazz and some times there has to be compromise. Is Kenny G any going through the motions? Or does he have a passion and belief in the music he plays?

Just curious

Che.

[couw]

I prefer stoopid music.

[scottb]

Why do I get the feeling that Che is researching an article for a school paper?

Your question, which you appear to be in desperate need of an answer is :

Why do people like smooth jazz?

Here at this board, we have NO IDEA. OK, leave us alone, if you want that question answered go to Kenny G.com and ask HIS board members.

Other questions you might also consider:

Why do people eat seafood at RED LOBSTER?

Why do people buy BUICKs?

Why do people drink coffee made with FOLGERS crystals?

Why do people smoke SWISHER SWEETS?

Why do people wear POLYESTER?

Why do people watch reality TV?

Why do people watch movies with KEANU REEVES as the lead?

Why did William Huang sell more albums than Wayne Shorter last year?

Why do people live in Gary , IN?