Why Doesn't Contemporary Jazz Get Any Respect?

Well interesting hearing this from another member, I was met by a bunch of guys in white masks carrying flaming crosses, in another recent thread attempting to defend smooth jazz. Ironic that all of this controversy happens close to the time of the smooth jazz awards in San Diego. I will admit that there are some good smooth jazz musicians out there, and it is great for setting the mood for a special lady and myself. Its hard to classify some musicians Bill Frissel, Pat Metheny, Diana Krall, Lee Ritenour, David Benoit, Chuck Loeb to name a few could be thought of as either-smooth jazz, or jazz- who’s the judge? I don’t care as long is it entertains me. On the other hand there are some very obvious musicians that are as smooth as smooth jazz gets, Boney James, Rick Braun, Spyro Gyra which I enjoy some of their music sometimes as well. Every time we get involved in this topic it reminds me of the rap speaker thread, to label anyone’s music as wrong, is very true to the high-end-audio-snob myth which no one wants to be labeled with . This thread may get hostile.

Tim

For the same reason you'll never see the hardcore classical music crowd at a Pops concert.

In the end though, to each person it is best to remember what Duke Ellington said; "If it sounds good, it is good."

I don't think I was one of the guys in a white mask replete with flaming cross that Tim referred to, but I'll venture an opinion anyway: most serious jazz buffs don't consider smooth jazz to be jazz. It may share a few elements of music structure such as harmony, melody, tempo, etc., and have a sound which contains stylistic components drawn from swing, bop, hard bop, cool, etc., but in most cases "smooth jazz" lacks two of the most essential characteristics of "real" jazz: genuine improvisation, and swing in the jazz sense (characterized by a preponderance of syncopated rhythmic figures).

I don't mean by these comments to suggest that "smooth jazz" is an inferior form of music. The whole purpose of music is to create an emotional response in the listener, and any music that achieves that affect is certainly a legitemate form of musical expression. That doesn't mean, however, that "smooth jazz" actually meets the full definition of jazz in the commonly understood sense of the term.

This debate about the merits of "smooth jazz" vs. "real" jazz is mostly an elitist one, anyway. Listen to what you enjoy, and don't worry whether other people like it.