Smooth Jazz

[Trumpetstud]

So what make smooth jazz, smooth jazz? I love listening to Chris Botti. I love the sound. I’m in the process of starting lessons again and I’m going to a teacher who can play it all but is really a jazz professional. If I say I want to learn jazz will I be able to pick up and play smooth jazz or will I have to specifically study smooth jazz vs “jazz”?

Thanks

[Grits Burgh]

Smooth jazz chords are quite a bit different from traditional/Dixieland jazz. I picked up traditional jazz just by listening. it just came to me naturally. That is not the case with bebop or smooth jazz. You have to do a lot more book work and practice a whole lot more on scales to figure out what is going on. To me, the thing with bebop is trying to play chromatically around chords and changes. I haven't figured out smooth jazz at all - but then, I haven't put any effort into it.
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[Trumpetstud]

Thanks for your time answering.

[Bflatman]

I see bebop as chromatic and smooth jazz as melodic

I see a strong link between blues and smooth jazz but then I am untutored so what do I know.

I see blues as a story, a beginning a middle and an end and smooth jazz fits well with this

If we look at chet bakers almost blue we see melodic phrases and the same is true of my funny valentine.

The difference for me is the blues characteristically adds a question or problem between the initial phrase and the final phrase this then becomes a melodic phrase followed by a question followed by a resolution.

If we look at the blues classic cry me a river there is an initial melodic phrase and then the following phrases set up a counter melody that begs a resolution and the resolution comes at the end to lift the listener.

The classic summertime follows this melodic phrase counter melody and resolution.

And when you look at the lyrics of my funny valentine the lyrics offer a lyric resolution at the end with "each day is valentines day"

Smooth jazz has great similarities with blues and is more satisfying in some ways than bebob which while being very sophisticated can leave the listener unsatisfied in unresolved chromatic phrases where there is not a melodic resolution.

It is perhaps unfair to generalise about one of the most fundamental and critically important jazz genres as bebob but I feel smooth jazz has great appeal to audiences due its well constructed melodic forms.

In life we face problems and need resolutions so a melodic form that offers melodic phrase followed by melodic problem followed by melodic resolution strikes at the soul of the listener and answers a basic human need.

To have problems resolved.

And when listeners hear the melodic problems resolved in blues and smooth jazz they become more hopeful that problems in their lives can be resolved.

My 2 cents
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[Ed Kennedy]

Smooth jazz is R&B without vocals. IMO That's not a bad thing.

[Trumpetstud]

Wow!

[krell1960]

[BGinNJ]

Let me preface my comments by saying I'm not a fan of smooth jazz, though I like Chris Botti's trumpet playing. My tastes run from bebop to cool jazz, hard bop, to contemporary big band.

The big difference with "smooth" jazz is the rhythm section- The beat tends to be on 1 & 3, not 2 & 4, so it doesn't swing. Electric piano, bass, and background vocals are common, horn solos tend to be overwrought alto sax.

The music has more in common with contemporary R&B than blues, I think.
Credit should go to George Benson for pioneering the style, check out recordings from the 70's on.

[Tony Scodwell]

Chris Botti is a real jazz player. He's found a niche which obviously is quite popular but he does not compromise the music at all.

My few "smooth" jazz experiences had to do with some current "names" in concert. I heard a four bar set of chords which kept turning around for the entire piece and every piece that followed was the same format and in the same key for the entire concert. It did get boring with the same tonality over and over so at that point I decided my smooth jazz listening career was finished. Hopefully there are some players out there improving things and I will be proven to be just another old fart stuck in the past

Tony Scodwell
www.scodwellusa.com

[TrumpetMD]

[kalijah]

[AlanK17]

Smooth jazz is certainly more groove-based, which some will find repetitive. I wouldn't say that Chris Botti has done any smooth jazz recordings since about 2003. After that he seemed to move more towards covering standards. I would suggest checking out Rick Braun's work. His earlier material is very similar to Botti's smooth jazz stuff, but I prefer his later albums from 2000 - 2014. Although his playing is just as good, I'm not so keen on the selection of tunes on his last couple of albums. Just my two cents. Oh... and avoid his vocal albums if you want to hear trumpet!
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[Claude1949]

[AndyDavids]

My teacher said that Smooth or Happy Jazz is the anti-Bebop!
Like Spyrogyra or the Rippingtons...not bad, just different- maybe defined as more commercial
as to reach a larger audience?

[Bryant Jordan]

‘Smooth Jazz’ has never appealed to me. Bebop on the other hand is my favorite genre.

Answering your question, if the ‘jazz’ you’re listening to reminds you of sitting in your jacuzzi with a glass wine, it’s smooth jazz.

[jadickson]

[mafields627]

[tptptp]

My wife loves smooth jazz. To me much of what she listens to is boring, predictable elevator music. It's full of soprano sax.....
To her, the jazz I like is annoying.

Vive la difference.
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