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Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion^[1] and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles (separately, or, in any combination).^{[2][unreliable source?]}

Beginning in the early 1970s, it was an evolution into jazz with a modern, electronic sensibility. The instruments most widely associated with the style are the soprano saxophone, inspired by players like Grover Washington, Jr., Ronnie Laws, Wayne Shorter and Nathan Davis, and a certain flavor of electric guitar, influenced by players like Wes Montgomery and Grant Green. Jazz fusion ensembles such as Spyro Gyra and Bob James' Fourplay were important in the development of the genre.

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 WEMP) 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.^[3] 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.^[3]

Description[link]

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.^[2]

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, Jonathan Butler, Ray Parker, Jr, Norman Brown, Ronny Jordan, and Yves Vincent; 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.

Origins[link]

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^[4] 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."^[5] 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."^[6]

In addition to Benson, jazz musicians in the 1970s whose style would be called smooth jazz today included Bob James, David Sanborn, Herb Alpert, Al Jarreau and Chuck Mangione.^[7] Others with a similar style included Earl Klugh, Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Grover Washington, Jr., Spyro Gyra (with songs such as "Morning Dance"), Sérgio Mendes, Tom Scott, Dave and Don Grusin, and Joe Sample.^{[citation needed]}

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.^[8] 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.^[9] 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[link]

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[link]

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. 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."^[10]

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".^[11] 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”.^[12]

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^{[citation needed]}). The appeal of smooth jazz is also developing in the late-teen and 20s age groups in East Asia (especially Japan^{[citation needed]}) 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.^{[citation needed]}

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."^[13]

Radio[link]

Early history[link]

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".

In 1983, "adult alternative" became a well-defined radio format, with jazz, New Age music and adult contemporary music. In 1987, the switch by album-oriented rock KMET in Los Angeles to KTWV "The Wave" made the format more popular.^[14]

After programmer Frank Cody began "The Wave" in Los Angeles and the simultaneous KIFM (San Diego) and the eclectic KKSF (San Francisco), the number of 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 (a short-lived Wave network affiliate from 1987-89) and WJZZ in Detroit, WNWV in Cleveland (which began as a Wave affiliate but eventually moved to local programming), 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. For a short time in 1987-1988, Chicago actually had two such stations, as the "Wave" network was also heard on WTWV-FM, licensed to suburban Des Plaines (now WPPN).

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.^{[citation needed]} WNUA then adopted the slogan "Smooth Rock and Smooth Jazz",^[15] replacing the old slogan "Music for a New Age" as the station added more vocals and dropped most "avant-garde" instrumentals.^[16] 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.^{[citation needed]}

Over a six-year period ending in 1993, the format increased its audience by 140 percent, and from 1992 to 1993, by 67 percent. Listeners were 71 percent white and 28 percent black. Advertisers recognized that adult alternative music tended to attract buyers of upscale items.^[14] The format became much more jazz-oriented, with very little new age, and even while emphasizing young artists, the format kept its heritage acts as well.^[17] However, smooth jazz did add artists from adult contemporary music to increase its popularity with a larger audience; artists included Mariah Carey, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Michael Bolton, Tina Turner, and Janet Jackson.^[18] The smooth jazz format also added R & B; according to Cary Goldberg of JVC, Paul Hardcastle "brought a sophisticated, urban groove" to the format. She said, "Instead of bringing jazz to R&B, he's brought an R&B groove to contemporary jazz."^[19]

The smooth jazz music mix included 70 percent instrumentals and 30 percent vocals. Programmers no longer regarded the music as merely "background". The format's most successful stations included WNUA, KKSF, KOAI, WNWV and KIFM, as well as WQCD, which had a significant rating increase in Fall 1993.^[18]

Smooth jazz (still referred to as "adult alternative" in Billboard until the magazine began using the term for album alternative^[20]) experienced the largest increase in "power ratio" in 1994; the term refers to the relationship between audience share and advertising revenue. Although the format was increasing in popularity, M Street Journal counted 43 stations in the format, down from 64 in 1989. But new stations such as KKJZ in Portland, Oregon and KLJZ in New Orleans experienced immediate success.^[21] New stations in 1995 included KCIY in Kansas City, Missouri; KMJZ in Minneapolis; WSJZ in Buffalo, New York; and WJCD in Norfolk, Virginia.^{[22][23][24][25][26]}

"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[link]

Recent problems[link]

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.^[27] Currently, the most prominent of the few remaining commercial (and independently-programmed) smooth jazz stations are WSBZ "The Seabreeze" in Destin, Florida, WEIB in Northampton, Massachusetts, and KYSJ in Coos Bay, Oregon.

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.

(The switch from smooth jazz WQCD to album-rock WRXP proved to be a ratings disaster, however. As a rock station, WRXP was something of an anachronism in New York -- a city long dominated by urban, R&B and hip-hop-formatted stations such as WBLS, WRKS (Kiss FM) and WHTZ. Most of WRXP's target audience had long ago fled to the suburbs. In July 2011, WRXP was sold to Merlin Media, which turned it into an all-news station^[28]. "This change might seem to again support the often-heard mantra that when it comes to radio music, New York is a rhythm town, not a rock town," the New York Daily News noted.^[29])

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

Canada's highest-profile smooth jazz station, CIWV-FM, now CHKX-FM in Hamilton, Ontario, abandoned the format in late July 2011, switching to country music instead and moving the jazz format to an online stream only. And after Christmas 2011, CJGV-FM, the last English-speaking smooth jazz station in Canada, switched to an adult contemporary format, leaving Francophone CKLX-FM in Montreal, Quebec as the only remaining station in the format in Canada.

However, smooth jazz or some variant thereof has made a minor comeback in some markets, via AM stations (see below), FM HD Radio side channel/analog translator combos, or so-called "Franken-FM's" (actually low-power analog television stations on Channel 6 which serve a double function as radio stations due to the audio portion of the broadcast being audible on 87.75 MHz, possible because the FCC has not yet required low-power TV stations to convert to digital transmission). Such "Franken-FM's" have popped up in Chicago (WKQX-LP) and Anchorage, Alaska (KNIK-LP, using the call sign of a former smooth jazz station there which had flipped to adult contemporary). FM HD side channel/analog translator combos have also allowed the format to return to the airwaves in Detroit and Orlando, Florida, via HD side channels of WGPR-FM and WMGF-FM respectively; the Orlando station images itself with the call letters of the market's former full-power smooth jazz station WLOQ, although its call sign is not legally WLOQ.

In January 2012, in a rare case, a former smooth jazz station actually returned to its former format after the replacement format had failed. WNWV-FM in Cleveland had dropped its long-running "Wave" smooth-jazz format in favor of adult alternative after Christmas of 2009, under the ownership of Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting. In January 4, 2012, new owners Rubber City Radio Group restored the "Wave" format to the analog radio dial in Cleveland as a Smooth AC outlet, after a period of stunting with Christmas music. Shortly afterward, it was reported that KMVV-FM in Anchorage, which had dropped its Rhythmic AC format in November 2011 to stunt with Christmas music, would itself be returning with a smooth jazz format under the name "The Oasis" - thereby giving Anchorage two choices for smooth jazz (with "Franken-FM" KNIK-LP offering a mix of jazz, including some smooth jazz, and blues).

Reasons[link]

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^[30] 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.^[31] 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 Communications^[3] -- and the reduction of artists recording tracks resulting in fewer tracks for airplay^[32] may have also contributed to the decline.

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.^[33]

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.^[27]

The Smooth AC format[link]

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). In markets where they exist, Smooth AC stations are meant to fill a void for soft music created by the mainstream Adult Contemporary format's overall move toward more uptempo adult Top-40 musical fare.

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, KIFM in San Diego, and most recently, WNWV in Cleveland, Ohio, which relaunched under its former "107-3 The Wave" identity as a Smooth AC on January 4, 2012. KIFM has since dropped all remaining instrumental smooth jazz remnants from its playlist and now essentially an all-vocals soft AC with some smooth jazz vocals still included. 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, KIFM and WNWV continue to program "traditional" smooth jazz formats on HD subchannels; KIFM's HD-2 features "Pure Smooth Jazz," while KTWV and WNWV program "Wave Classics," featuring vintage smooth jazz cuts no longer played on the main station, on their HD-2 feeds.

Other former smooth-jazz stations have evolved to Rhythmic Oldies formats while maintaining their previous call letters, notably KOAS in Las Vegas and KYOT (now known as "Eva") in Phoenix. KOAS saw its ratings in the 25-54 age demographics improve after moving to its "old school" format.

Non-commercial and AM stations[link]

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; WCRX-LP in Columbus, Ohio; WFSK in Nashville, Tennessee; KBBG in Waterloo, Iowa; KUNV in Las Vegas, Nevada; WONB in Ada, Ohio (on Sundays); LPFM broadcaster WGRV-LP in Melbourne, Florida, and nearby communities via translators; and most recently, WBWH-LP in Bluffton, Ohio, which has extended its Sunday-night show "The Chillout Sessions" (featuring a mix of smooth jazz, smooth vocals, and chill music, hosted by Donald Isaac) into its primary format as of October 2011. In addition, some commercial stations which present the format on their HD side channels, such as KKCW in Portland, Oregon, and WDZH in Detroit, do so without commercial interruption.

One of the longest-running non-commercial smooth jazz radio programs in the United States is "The Quiet Storm,"^[34] which airs weekly on the community-based WGDR-FM in Plainfield, Vermont and its sister station, WGDH-FM in Hardwick, Vermont, both owned by Goddard College. Launched in 1998 and hosted by Skeeter Sanders, "The Quiet Storm" is actually a 50-50 mix of smooth jazz and soft R&B, presented in "Triple-A" (Album Adult Alternative) style, with a strong emphasis on "B" and "C" album tracks that most commercial stations often ignore. The show 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. In September 2011, a syndicated commercial version of Sanders' program began broadcasting on the Internet-only Fishbowl Radio Network.^[35]

In some markets, the smooth jazz format has also found a new home on the AM dial. In Reno, Nevada, KBDB 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. Most recently, in Phoenix, Arizona, Clear Channel (who had recently dropped the format on KYOT-FM to evolve to Urban Oldies) returned smooth jazz to the air evenings, overnights and weekends on KOY, an AM adult standards station.

In Detroit and Orlando, FM translators have also signed on relaying smooth jazz-formatted HD-2 subchannels, as previously mentioned.

Specialty shows[link]

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 WRRM Warm 98 in Cincinnati, WZUN in Syracuse, New York, WMXC in Mobile, Alabama, and WSOL in Jacksonville, Florida. An oddity in this category is WLAV in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a classic rock station which features a "cool jazz" brunch show on Sunday mornings. WZTK in Burlington, North Carolina, a talk station, also devotes most of its weekend programming to smooth jazz, using programming provided by Dial Global and playing much of the library from the now-defunct Jones Radio Network Smooth Jazz format.

Syndicated shows[link]

In January 2007,^[36] 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. WKQX-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 and WAEG continue to broadcast the Smooth Jazz Network; WJCD, WQJZ, WJZL, WKYL and KJZS have all switched to other formats (although the format was relaunched on a smaller AM station in Reno), and WAUN and WKQX-LP have evolved to the related Smooth AC format.

In addition to KORL and WAEG, the Smooth Jazz Network is also carried on 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; translator W273CA "102.5 WLOQ" in Orlando, Florida, simulcasting the HD-2 feed of adult contemporary station WMGF-FM; and weekends on 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, and is available for streaming via Clear Channel Communications' iHeartRadio application.

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 and former Smooth Jazz Network affiliates WAUN and WKQX-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). KYOT in Phoenix also programmed the Smooth AC Network for a time after switching from smooth jazz and prior to moving to its current urban oldies direction.

The current air talent lineup on the Smooth Jazz and Smooth AC Networks 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.

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. However, this format has failed to take off and is as of August 2011 aired on only a small handful of stations nationwide.

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[link]

The smooth-jazz format was always 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, as well as soft AC artists like Celine Dion or Paul Anka). However, the format now is in danger of near-complete extinction on the Canadian airwaves.

In 2011, Canada's two remaining high-profile Anglophone smooth jazz stations both terminated the format, with the aforementioned CIWV-FM switching to country music in July and CJGV-FM in Winnipeg dropping its "Groove" format on December 1, 2011, and beginning a period of stunting toward a new adult-contemporary format. The former CHMC-FM in Edmonton, Alberta began in 2005 as a smooth jazz station, but switched in 2010 to an "uptempo" Adult Hits format as CIUP-FM. As of January 2012, there remains only one major-market station in Canada featuring a primarily smooth jazz format, Francophone CKLX-FM in Montreal. Even CKLX's future appears dubious, as the station, suffering from low ratings with both French- and English-speaking audiences, applied in January 2012 to replace 50% of its current music programming with spoken word (i.e. talk) programming.

However, also in January 2012, Durham Radio, owners of CIWV-FM (now CHKX-FM), applied to relaunch the "Wave" format on the 88.1 FM frequency in Toronto vacated by CKLN-FM when that station was ordered off the air by the CRTC. Durham Radio is one of nearly thirty applicants for the frequency, and the only one proposing such a format. In the meantime, some smooth jazz is available to Toronto listeners on CKFG-FM "G98.7", a recent sign-on in late 2011 featuring an eclectic Urban AC format.

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.^{[citation needed]}

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^[37] under a three year deal with The Local Radio Company to relaunch Jazz FM^[38] with smooth jazz output in the daytime and early hours of the morning.

List of Smooth Jazz and Smooth AC radio stations[link]

United States (excluding HD side channels)[link]

• KIFM, San Diego, CA - Soft AC station with some Smooth AC vocals
• KJJZ (K-Jazz), Palm Springs, CA - Broadcast Architecture affiliate
• KJZY, Santa Rosa, CA
• KMYT, Temecula, CA - Broadcast Architecture affiliate
• KNIK-LP, Anchorage, AK - mix of jazz and blues
• KNNR (Smooth Jazz 1400), Sparks/Reno, NV - Broadcast Architecture affiliate
• KOAZ and translator K279BP on 103.7 FM, Albuquerque, NM
• KORL-FM HD2 and translator on 101.5 FM, Honolulu, HI - Broadcast Architecture affiliate
• KOY-AM, Phoenix, AZ - nights and weekends
• KQJZ (Smooth Sexy Jazz), Kalispell, MT - Broadcast Architecture affiliate
• KTWV (The Wave), Los Angeles, CA - Smooth AC
• KYSJ (The Wave), Coos Bay, OR
• KYZK, Sun Valley, ID - Broadcast Architecture affiliate
• WAEG (Smooth Jazz 92.3), Augusta, GA - Broadcast Architecture affiliate
• WAUN (Smooth Bays), Kewaunee/Green Bay/Sturgeon Bay, WI - Broadcast Architecture Smooth AC affiliate
• WBWH-LP, Bluffton, OH
• WEIB, Northampton, MA - Smooth Jazz/Smooth AC/Urban AC hybrid
• WFSK, Nashville, TN
• W284BQ/WGPR-HD2 (The Oasis), Detroit, MI (currently off the air on its analog frequency, but to return to the air soon on a new frequency)
• WGRV-LP and translators (The Groove), Melbourne, FL
• WKQX-LP (Smooth 87.7), Chicago, IL - (Formerly WLFM-LP, no longer Smooth AC format)
• W273CA/WMGF-HD2 (Smooth Jazz 102.5 WLOQ), Orlando, FL - Broadcast Architecture affiliate
• WNWV (107.3 The Wave), Elyria/Cleveland, OH - returned to the air January 4, 2012 with a Smooth AC format
• WRMU, Alliance, OH
• WSBZ (The Seabreeze), Destin, FL
• WXJZ (Smooth FM 100.9), Gainesville, FL - Smooth AC, partially fed from Broadcast Architecture
• WVSU-FM, Birmingham, AL
• WZTK, Burlington, NC (weekends)

Canada[link]

• CKLX-FM (Planete Jazz), Montreal, PQ (French speaking)

International[link]

Please add! In the Netherlands (holland), known for North sea jazzfestival, there is Arrow jazz in fm. and internet at arrow.nl/jazz

Cable/Satellite/Subscription[link]

• City Lights (Muzak Holdings)
• Impressions (Muzak Holdings)
• Smooth Jazz (Galaxie)
• Smooth Jazz (Music Choice)
• Smooth Jazz (Sonic Tap)
• Watercolors (Sirius XM)

Internet only[link]

• SmoothJazz.com
• RadioJazzPlus.com
• Sky.fm/play/smoothjazz
• http://www.khigh.co/

See also[link]

Smooth jazz portal

• 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

References[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Smooth jazz

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jazz

This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2009)

This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (November 2010)

James at the Jazz Cafe, 2005

Boney James, (born James Oppenheim, September 1, 1961 in Lowell, Massachusetts) is a saxophonist, songwriter and producer who popularized urban jazz (an updated version of contemporary jazz that contains elements of R&B and hip-hop). He is one of the most successful instrumental artists of our time, with sales totaling over 3 million records.

Boney James is a three-time Grammy Award nominee (Best Pop Instrumental Album, 2001 and 2004, and Best Traditional R&B Performance, 2009 ) and a Soul Train Award winner (Best Jazz Album). He has also been honored with an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Jazz Album. He has accumulated four RIAA Certified Gold Records. His most recent CD, Contact (Verve Forecast, 2011), spent 10 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart.

To date, nine of James's albums have reached #1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and two have reached the top 10 on the R&B Albums Chart, a rare feat for an instrumental artist.

James is also renowned for his compelling live performances. According to the Boston Globe: "Let's make something perfectly clear: James is not a smooth jazz player. Yeah, he is often grouped with people like Kenny G and Najee, but his music is muscular and gritty, whereas most smooth jazz has all the texture and complexity of a cue ball.... James swaggered across the stage like a blacktop hero draining treys on an overmatched opponent. He even weaved his way through the audience, never missing a beat and all but daring the crowd not to have a good time." – Boston Globe

History[link]

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, he took up the clarinet at the age of eight and switched to sax when he was 10.^[1] Boney spent his early teen years in New Rochelle, New York and became a Motown fan, which contributed to his "musical influence and soulful R&B style."^{[citation needed]} He was also influenced by saxophonist Grover Washington, Jr.. When James was 14 his family moved to Los Angeles, where he joined a fusion band which had some success opening for acts like Flora Purim and the Yellowjackets. Another member of this early band was John Shanks, now a successful pop producer.^[2] (Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow)

James received a history degree from UCLA, but began playing music full-time after graduation. He took up the keyboards and in 1985 joined The Time/Purple Rain alum Morris Day's band for four years. His R&B influence was further strengthened by seven years of touring and sessions as a sideman with Day, the Isley Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, Randy Crawford, Teena Marie and many others. It was on the road with Crawford in 1986 that he earned his now-famous moniker; his per diem as a touring musician barely kept him fed, and a bandmate (current Tonight Show keyboardist, Wayne Linsey) commented of his dwindling physique, "We'll have to start calling you Boney James!" The name stuck.

In the early 1990s, after joining Bobby Caldwell's band, James caught the attention of the engineer/mixer & producer Paul Brown. In 1992 he released his debut album as a leader, Trust, on the indy Spindletop Records label. The record's success led to James being signed by the Warner Brothers label in 1994. The RIAA Certified Gold Records, Seduction, Sweet Thing and Body Language followed.

In 2000 he collaborated with trumpeter Rick Braun on an album called Shake it Up. Their duets include "Grazin' in the Grass". Other artists who have made guest appearances on Boney's records include Faith Evans, George Benson, Dwele, Al Jarreau, Philip Bailey, Anthony Hamilton, Jaheim, Eric Benét, Dave Hollister and Angie Stone.

James assumed the role of producer starting with his Pure CD in 2003. Following a string of chart-topping albums, in 2006 James moved to Concord Records^[2] and with the release of Shine achieved his career highest Billboard Pop Chart position (#44 on the Top 200).

In 2008, James recorded a song with American Idol finalist Syesha Mercado, entitled "Gonna Get It," which was co-written by James and Rahsaan Patterson. It is currently available exclusively in the iTunes Music Store.^[3]

For his 2009 album, Send One Your Love, James decided to take a different path with a concept album, a collection of ten seductive love songs. ("The ultimate make-out cd.")^{[citation needed]} In addition to the subsequent Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance, in 2009 Billboard named James the #3 Billboard Contemporary Jazz Artist of the Decade. (Trailing just Kenny G and Norah Jones.)

On May 15, 2010, James was involved in a car crash coming home from a performance when he was rear ended by a drunk driver. James suffered a fractured jaw, two shattered teeth and facial lacerations. He was sidelined for 2 months. ^[4]

Contact released in March 2011 became his 9th CD to top the Billboard Jazz Chart. It features high-profile guest vocalists LeToya Luckett (of Destiny's Child), Grammy and Tony winner Heather Headley and R&B superstars Mario and Donell Jones. The record was nominated for Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the 2011 Soul Train Awards.

Boney James is married to actress/director Lily Mariye ("Nurse Jarvik" on NBC's ER for 15 seasons).

Discography[link]

• Trust (1992)
• Backbone (1993)
• Seduction (1995)
• Boney's Funky Christmas (1996)
• Sweet Thing (1998)
• Body Language (1999)
• Shake It Up w/Rick Braun (2000)
• Ride (2001)
• Pure (2004)
• Shine (2006)
• Christmas Present (2007)
• Send One Your Love (2009)
• Contact (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Obnoxious Listeners Review of Boney James

Chuck Loeb (born Nyack, New York) is a guitarist who performs numerous styles of music, most notably jazz. Loeb's own solo projects have generally been commercially successful crossover jazz, which has "contemporary" or "smooth" jazz.

Loeb played in Stan Getz's group from 1979 for two years.^[1] In 1994 Loeb and fellow member of Stan Getz, Mitchel Forman formed the Jazz-Fusion band Metro.^[2]

His first solo album was released for Pony Canyon Records in Japan,(1989) the album called My Shining Hour. Later he produced some cd's for DMP and switched to Shanachie in 1996; Moon, the Stars, & the Setting Sun was issued in 1998; Listen followed in 1999, In A Heartbeat in early 2001 and All there is in 2002. Chuck has recently toured Spain with fellow band members drummer Josh Dion, bassist Brian Killeen and Matt King on keyboards.

As of 2010, he plays guitar for Fourplay as the replacement of Larry Carlton.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site
• Chuck Loeb Interview
• Metro Site