Why Doesn't Contemporary Jazz Get Any Respect?

What Sdcampbell and others have said about smooth jazz is what I was saying about classical Pops concerts. While it may be played by a symphony orchestra in a symphony concert venue, it is not classical music. The name sais it all, it is pop music. Same here. To the traditional jazz listener, it may be called smooth jazz, but is isn't jazz. There is no improvisation to speak of. This does not make it bad music; its success is proof enough that is is good music to those who like it.

Chelillingworth-First of all I don't think anyone considers Mariah Carey or Celine Dion smooth Jazz artists.The radio stations that play "smooth jazz" mix in light pop for a bigger audience.Thats not our fault.Second,in my area(northeastern Ohio)there is one smooth jazz station.They don't play Miles Davis,Coltrane etc.If there was a demand to hear it you can bet they would play it.You can't find classic Jazz anywhere on the dial.The reason,because there is no demand.To label all smooth jazz as uninvolving,shallow and lacking emotional depth pretty much shows us that your a close minded idiot.Face the facts,smooth jazz has alot more fans,sells alot more CD's,packs alot more concert halls,and is on alot more radio dials than that old,winey,tired,and stale crap you listen too.Send me your address,I'll burn you a CD that will knock your socks off,and make you a believer. JM

Discovering ( from this post ) that Pat Metheny is smooth jazz, I heartily join the smooth jazz group.

Are Oregon, Steve Tibbets, and other artists on ECM also considered smooth Jazz? If so, I have a large library of this style music.

Oh and by the way, I like the old stale crap that Chelillingworth likes, provided we are talking about JJ Johnson, Red Garland, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson and Billie Holliday.

A lot of the practitioners of so called "smooth jazz" rely heavily on a narrow range of cliches and are making sure that the Pat Boone/Michael Bolton syndrome stays alive in contemporary instrumental music. Fluff peddlers who have taken the easy path and succumbed to a movie sequal mentality are not the only musicians who have had a hard time earning respect. If Kenny G, Spyro Gyra and the Yellowjackets spin your propeller that's great, but there's a huge amount of non threatening stuff with a much lower velveeta content that you'd probably like way more.