2. music
  3. 1011278623

Contemporary/Smooth Jazz..just overprocessed?

There was a good thread a few days ago titled: "Why Doesn't Contemporary Jazz Get Any Respect?"..worth looking at before responding to this one...

It seems that there is the late night FM "mall" music type of "Smooth Jazz" (a title that makes it sound like mayonnaise)..and then there are many, many highly talented current Jazz artists...that I have still had a hard time enjoying as much as the older "Classic" Jazz performers. Why?

As my son and I were listening to a CD he gave me for Christmas
it became clear what might be a factor. The CD is Terence Blanchard's "Let's Get Lost", which includes vocals by Diana Krall, Cassandra Wilson..and others, and what makes this CD less enjoyable than it should be is the amount of reverb/processing that has been done to it. Mr. Blanchard is a superb trumpet player...why screw up his sound with an excessive amount of reverb? Perhaps the why is.. it is more likly to sell? Face it popular music has become more and more electronic/computer/synthetic/processed...it has just grew up with a generation that these companies feel that is how they want their Jazz.

I would love to hear this same album recorded by Doug Sax..or someone else...
whatjd

Showing 5 responses by whatjd

whatjd OP
1,139 posts
 
Thanks Onhwy61. I will just e-mail this page to him. It would be good to have his input.
whatjd OP
1,139 posts
 
Onhwy61, the email I sent to the address you supplied above came back as undeliverable...?
whatjd OP
1,139 posts
 
I'll try again, thanks. Jim
whatjd OP
1,139 posts
 
Thanks, again, Onhwy61. I believe I was able to email both threads on this subject(at least recent ones) to Mr. Anderson. For his info and, hopefully, for his input.

The above question and thoughts were not ment to offend anyone. But sometimes "trends" can look silly in retrospect. Frank S., Tony B and other people were at times caught up in the times and recorded really stupid songs of the times.

My concern with better Jazz artists of our day..is not to get caught up in the Kenny G/Smooth Jazz syndrom of the day. ie: thank God a Soprano sax DOES NOT sound like what Kenny G has made a bundle on...all that electronic pick-up going through a computer to "process" the sound.. It seems that Mr. G's sax playing goes on for a half-second or more after each note is finished...

Why am I saying all of this. There are just too many good artists out there that either are/or may be tempted to do a "Kenny G" on their playing....what a shame....and about as smart as Frank Sinatra covering a Bread or Captian and Toenail song....which I believe he and way too many other people did.....kinda the musical version of bell-bottoms, lava lamps, disco...etc.
whatjd OP
1,139 posts
 
I want to thank Mr. Anderson for his input. It is of much value.

The CD of Mr. Blanchards, may not of been the best choice to point out concerns of too much reverb and contemporary Jazz vs. older Jazz standards. However, it was my most recent.

From Harold Land at The BlueNote, to Diana Krall doing a performance in the parking lot behind a bar in Milwaukee..I have always enjoyed the lack of processing of a live performance and enjoy studio work that has little added effects. The "Smooth" Jazz thing is and has been a concern for those of us that seem to like our music more natural.

In owning every Cd that Mr. Blanchard has done...as well as other current Jazz people, my personal taste would want to be open to enjoying their growth and changes...this can be charted and heard in Miles, Coltrane, Mulligan, Gordon...and many others....but far more than the "Fusion Jazz" era...my thoughts are that "Smooth" is not an extension of Jazz...

More to discover