This is my opinion – it does not change the value of others and what they find value in.

When I think about jazz/rock improvising what I hear most of the time is an emotion; very much the same type of emotion I get when I listen to a great drummer.

Years ago I brought a recording to my guitar teacher and after listening I asked for his opinion; his answer was that the guitar player was very good but he sounded like a hundred other guitar players. It took me a while until I received the full meaning of what he said.

What I hear in the many areas of Rock/Jazz today is a well put together group of scales and modes based on the chords or key being played. I was lucky to be on a job with an excellent Tenor Sax man; we were playing an old Sinatra tune Witchcraft. When he took his solo I realized that his solo was based on the chord progression – ¾ through with the song he leaned close to me and said, “What song are we playing”.
Please understand I respect all types of music and how they are played; they all have a story to tell.

When I listen to Django Reinhart his lines are good and not tiring. He may use some scales but most comes right from his heart. My take on jazz is based on the song itself. I take the original song and begin to add and substitute – to fill the empty areas – to create more areas where notes are silent. You can actually hum the song I am playing although I am playing only scatted parts of the melody. It is my version of the song. I work within the original structure of the song.

John C.

I enjoy a lot of "smooth jazz" but I don't hear much "jazz" in it. If there is zero interplay/interaction between the soloist and the rhythm section it's not really jazz IMO. I think most "smooth jazz" should be called "intrumental pop, intrumental funk..."

i like some smooth jazz tunes especially on the weather channel "Local on the 8ths" .....but, 99% NOT created on an arranger KB....I hear Synth & WS written all over it mixed in with live players mostly,.....it's very creative using all available as it should be, ..it's just another genre of music to enjoy.

At least on my restaurant gigs, I play smooth jazz almost exclusively. That's because it has enough structure left (most of it, at least) to keep me from falling asleep, lots of "current" favorites are nothing but reprocessed 70's and 80's music people remember, and the majority of customers can be "bamboozled" into believing that if they act like they like it they join the group of "cool" folks.

It is the compromise I make to keep working, and most of the material just is not that bad...especially the George Duke kind of stuff.

I worked lots of trade shows with George Benson in the 70's and before. He recorded lots of instrumental jazz albums for Blue Note and sold about 500,000 each.

Then, He recorded his 1976 album (Breezin') with Masquerade as the major piece and 13 weeks later, had sold 12 million copies.I was lucky enough to play the tune with him at a winter NAMM.

It was the first immensely successful smooth jazz album. I talked to him about it in 1979. He said lots of "hard liners" (probably lots of unemployed jazz players) gave him a really hard time about selling out. He said, "hey, I just lost my jazz contract, I was thinking about getting into the contracting business. I'm not gonna make ANY excuses. I'm feeding my family, and brought a slightly more commercial form of jazz to a whole lot more people".

I say WAY TO GO, GEORGE!

Making compromises is not necessarily selling out.

Now me, I've sold out". I'm spending several days this week recording FRIED CHICKEN MUSIC (LOL)!

Donny wears a chicken hat...I play chicken music. I COULD play the music wearing the hat, but that would be a little over the top!


Be well,


Russ

This thread (and its companion - chord substitutions) are possibly the two BEST threads I have ever read on SZ.

Tremendously interesting to read, and they both prove that all views can be listened to, as long as the mutual respect for each persists.

Bravo to everyone who has contributed.

Thanks

Dennis

Dennis, your contributions here on the two threads you mention are some of the most valuable, in terms of meaning, usefulness sincerity.

Thanks,


Russ

Hi Nigel:

Smooth jazz, cool jazz, just about any jazz, like all other forms of music will have those who can't get enough of it... and those who can't stand it. Guess that's why people buy either Chevys or Fords... LOL!

There aren't many forms of jazz I don't enjoy... but then I like most genres with a few exceptions. On another music oriented site, the founder has one definition of good music... "Does it move you?" That works pretty well for me.

Thanks for bringing this up and sharing songs you enjoy.

Dave Rice

Tony, when I have a choice, the bass player is the strongest player in any of my configurations.

Bass lines on these kinds of tunes are the engine that makes them work.

Good observation.

Quality of bass lines with arrangers is one of the reasons I'm a little reluctant to use them. It's not that they're bad; they're just dull, generally.

45% of my work over the years has been as a "slappin" bass player. I even have a custom built double neck with a fretless neck at the top and a fretted neck on the bottom.

I don't even mind playing country bass (I Know, I Know), where the job is to be part percussionist.

LOVE my old 59 P bass and my 1963 jazz. They're now worth more than my new Subaru.


Russ

Russ ... thanks ...
I do find bass lines on the arranger rather repetitive ... perhaps if I was talented enough I could play a 'walking bass' ...
Two New Year's eves ago we went out for the night ... the bass player in the band formerly played with "Tavares" ... he moved that band all night ...

To BOTH the appreciaters & haters of 'smooth jazz' here:

Realizing that 'smooth jazz' genre can mean very different things to different people,
please list which 'smooth jazz' artists and/or songs you especially like or
can't stand. What specific musical attributes about 'smooth jazz'
do you dis-like or find appealing?