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Coco's Jazz Beat
CD Reviews and Jazz and Urban Vibe News
Hello, I am Coco Spencer...I will be previewing and reviewing all of the Cool Contemporary Jazz and Hot Urban Vibes. Every week, check for your favorite Artists review and video right here on "The Vibe"
Coco
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles (separately, or, in any combination)
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 WFAN-FM) 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. 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.
Description
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.
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, Earl Klugh, 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
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 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." 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."
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. 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.
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. Artists represented include Joyce Cooling, Dave Koz, 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. 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
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." New York's WQCD integrated chill into its format in 2004, and DJ Rafe Gomez pioneered the usage of playlists that blended tracks from both genres, in addition to selections from the 70s jazz fusion and Latin jazz, 80s jazz-funk, 90s acid jazz, and contemporary club jazz/nu jazz.
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 WFAN-FM) 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. 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.
Description
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.
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, Earl Klugh, 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
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 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." 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."
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. 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.
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. Artists represented include Joyce Cooling, Dave Koz, 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. 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
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." New York's WQCD integrated chill into its format in 2004, and DJ Rafe Gomez pioneered the usage of playlists that blended tracks from both genres, in addition to selections from the 70s jazz fusion and Latin jazz, 80s jazz-funk, 90s acid jazz, and contemporary club jazz/nu jazz.
Contemporary Jazz Greats Present New Projects for 2013
This year, as with prior years, contemporary jazz promises to be rich in productivity and great music. For example, this month, sax giant Boney James will release the single “Maker of Love,” featuring R&B vocalist Raheem DeVaughn, the first single from the soul saxman’s forthcoming album The Beat. “I’m very excited about 2013, because my new album, ‘The Beat’ [featuring DeVaughn, The Floacist and Rick Braun] will be released April 2nd; so, starting in April, I’ll have a whole new show. We have the beginnings of our tour mapped out, and people can go to my website, www.boneyjames.com, to see where we’ll be. Of course I’m looking forward to hosting the West Coast edition of The Smooth Jazz Cruise for the first time,” says James.
Further developments include lovely sax lady Mindi Abair’s return to “American Idol.” “I’m looking forward to a busy and very fun 2013. I’m starting the year off in the studio with some of the most incredible saxophonists I know. I’m making a record with Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot for release in summer 2013, and, of course, we’ll be touring together playing everyone the new songs! What an honor and a privilege to make a record with friends and make music with such stellar musicians. I’m finding my reed now! In the spring, I’ll be getting into the studio to work on my new solo CD. I’ve written so much for it, and I’m so excited to get back into the studio and create some new music. I’ve been a road warrior for a few years. It’s time to switch gears for a few months and be a studio girl.”
Also, veteran R&B crooner Jeffrey Osborne’s new A Time for Love album will be released Jan. 29. Master producer/keyboardist George Duke produced the collection of jazz standards that includes performances by Chaka Khan, Christian McBride and Everette Harp. “This album is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Osborne says excitedly. “I had a pretty clear idea of what songs I wanted to record because I’ve liked them so much over the years. But there are so many that it was difficult narrowing it down to just 12.”
The Smooth Jazz Cruise musical director Brian Simpson just signed a record deal and will release a new CD in May. Also, keyboardist extraordinaire Keiko Matsui will commence work on her 23rd album in January followed by concert appearances around the world.
Neo soul/jazz vocalist Maysa will continue the delicate balance between solo artist and featured vocalist. “I’m working with Incognito on their American tour, and I started [recording] my 10th solo album.”
Watch for great things from the illustrious sax icon Kirk Whalum and others this year, also.
This year, as with prior years, contemporary jazz promises to be rich in productivity and great music. For example, this month, sax giant Boney James will release the single “Maker of Love,” featuring R&B vocalist Raheem DeVaughn, the first single from the soul saxman’s forthcoming album The Beat. “I’m very excited about 2013, because my new album, ‘The Beat’ [featuring DeVaughn, The Floacist and Rick Braun] will be released April 2nd; so, starting in April, I’ll have a whole new show. We have the beginnings of our tour mapped out, and people can go to my website, www.boneyjames.com, to see where we’ll be. Of course I’m looking forward to hosting the West Coast edition of The Smooth Jazz Cruise for the first time,” says James.
Further developments include lovely sax lady Mindi Abair’s return to “American Idol.” “I’m looking forward to a busy and very fun 2013. I’m starting the year off in the studio with some of the most incredible saxophonists I know. I’m making a record with Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot for release in summer 2013, and, of course, we’ll be touring together playing everyone the new songs! What an honor and a privilege to make a record with friends and make music with such stellar musicians. I’m finding my reed now! In the spring, I’ll be getting into the studio to work on my new solo CD. I’ve written so much for it, and I’m so excited to get back into the studio and create some new music. I’ve been a road warrior for a few years. It’s time to switch gears for a few months and be a studio girl.”
Also, veteran R&B crooner Jeffrey Osborne’s new A Time for Love album will be released Jan. 29. Master producer/keyboardist George Duke produced the collection of jazz standards that includes performances by Chaka Khan, Christian McBride and Everette Harp. “This album is something I’ve always wanted to do,” Osborne says excitedly. “I had a pretty clear idea of what songs I wanted to record because I’ve liked them so much over the years. But there are so many that it was difficult narrowing it down to just 12.”
The Smooth Jazz Cruise musical director Brian Simpson just signed a record deal and will release a new CD in May. Also, keyboardist extraordinaire Keiko Matsui will commence work on her 23rd album in January followed by concert appearances around the world.
Neo soul/jazz vocalist Maysa will continue the delicate balance between solo artist and featured vocalist. “I’m working with Incognito on their American tour, and I started [recording] my 10th solo album.”
Watch for great things from the illustrious sax icon Kirk Whalum and others this year, also.
