Why Doesn't Contemporary Jazz Get Any Respect?

First of all the statement that smooth jazz musicians are some of the best musician in the world is completely false and is an insult to those musicans who dedicate their lives to the art.

The word Jazz in smooth jazz is completely misused. It is in fact instrumental pop. It is popular because, surprise it is pop music. It is shallow and lacks any real emotional depth, it has nothing to say. It's only goal is to offend no-one and thus it is played in elevators everywhere.

It does offend me as commercial garbage masquerading as music, pretending to be some form of Jazz (an art form)and that is why you find such harsh critisism. Like saying that celine Dion or Mariah Carey is a great jazz singer, that is the level of absurdity we are talking about.

I can not tell you how sad it makes me to know that people mistake this "smooth jazz" for Jazz or even to label it as music at all. To do that is to miss the incredible depth of expression that real music has to offer. Find music that shows you something, that tells a story, that is made with passion, joy or pain and revel in it.

Leave the smooth jazz for the elevators and let som real music into your life.

Krelldog, I can assure you that I am not a close minded idiot. You will note that in my previous post I did not insult anyone personally and I think in any meaningful discussion it is pointless to do so and is definately not a goo devate method.

As to your offer of burning me a cd of this smooth jazz, believe me I wouldn't have entered this discussion if I hadn't already been exposed to much of this dribble before.

I have spent my life studying, teaching and playing music. Mostly Jazz and the Saxophone. I come to this argument understing the history, structure andwonder of Jazz as an art form. When I was younger I heard some fusion-smooth bands, I had some albums like the Yellowjackets and Spyro Gyra etc... but they quickly fell by the wayside. Being a player and a teacher I am constantle exposed to a wide variety of music I'll hear things, Warren Hill, Dave Koz and more Kenny G than I think is healthy. I know this music and that is why my comments are so strong.

You enjoy this music and I don't have a problem with that. I am only hoping to show you that there is so much more and by liming your understanding of instrumental adn improvisational music to this genre of smooth that you are missing out.

Do I really sound closed minded to you?

This is not a debate over the merits of new Jazz and old Jazz, because smooth jazz does not in any way represent the evolution of Jazz in the modern era. Again our argument is one of classification and the disgust of real Jazz fans is this calling this instrumental pop music Jazz is incorrect and creates confusion as to what Jazz is.

As to your radio station playing a lot of smooth and not much Jazz. I would hate to think that we would judge the merits of music based on record sales and radio ratings. Commercial radio has never been a way to judge the merits of music as an art. Sure it's popular the radio station makes money selling commercials, McDonalds is unbelievably popular are we going to argue that they serve gourmet cuisine ? Smooth jazz and Big Macs are popular for the same reason, they are both bland, cheap and predictable.

I do not mean to insult you but rather I implore you to find the real depth in music. By putting this smooth instrumental pop on such a pedestal you are showing that you have not really gained an understanding of Jazz beyond the tip of your tongue. It's flavours are more complex, richer and different from what you are used to, some of it you may want spit right out.

Ultimately you will find real Jazz to have great depth and real feeling, not the cheap pulling of the heartstrings of a manipulative hollywood movie, but real soul that will slowly work it's way into you and enrich your life.

Now my friend I can make you a CD of some of the most wonderful music in the world and if you manage not to spit it out you will find yourself understanding and appreciating the art of music.

Frogman, very well said indeed.

Krelldog, you seem to have a strong dislike for classic Jazz. The point I take with you is that because of your tastes, howerever educated they may be? you seem to judge smooth music to be superior to Jazz. You use it's popularity to make you case, if you continue with this logic than you will find country music to be the supreme art form.. ( I'll take country over smooth anyday )

I have been very impressed with the insightful posts in this thread and find it very refreshing to be talknig about music and not gear.

Smooth jazz is like those sappy romance novels, and Jazz is literature.