The Smooth Jazz Fanlisting

d e s c r i p t i o n

From Wikipedia.

Smooth jazz is generally described as a genre of music that utilizes instruments (and, at times, improvisation) traditionally associated with jazz and stylistic influences drawn from, among other sources, funk, pop and R&B.

The average smooth jazz track is on the "downtempo" (most widely played tracks are in the 90–105 BPM range) side, layering a lead, melody-playing instrument (saxophones — especially soprano and tenor — are the most popular, with guitars a close second) over a backdrop that tends to consist of programmed rhythms and various pads and/or samples. Though much of what is played under the banner of the "smooth jazz" radio format contains vocals, this is not usually the case for music recorded with the intent of categorization as smooth jazz. Rather, the stations in question pull their vocal tracks from the work of artists like Simply Red or Luther Vandross, who are normally considered "soul" or "R&B".

p o p u l a r   a r t i s t

From Wikipedia.

The groups or recording artists that rise to the top of the smooth jazz charts tend to play their instruments in a distinctively melodic fashion such that they are recognizable within just a few measures; this category includes names like saxophonists David Sanborn, Warren Hill, guitarist George Benson, and pianists Joe Sample and Bradley Joseph. Some performers, such as Dave Koz, Bob James, and Nathan East attain fame via their numerous collaborations with many other of the genre's big names. Grammy Award-winning Fourplay is a smooth jazz recording group with sophisticated roots in jazz.

While the world of smooth jazz has thus far been relatively male-dominated, the successful female performers — Keiko Matsui, Joyce Cooling, Mindi Abair, Candy Dulfer, Sade, Brenda Russell, Regina Belle, and Anita Baker participate also.

In Europe the main artist in this field is the European Jazz Trio. The European Jazz Trio consists of pianist Marc van Roon, bassist Frans van der Hoeven and drummer Roy Dackus. The trio has recorded over fifteen smooth jazz albums in the last ten years.