How smooth jazz took over the ‘90s

You should give smooth jazz a chance.
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Smooth jazz has gotten a bad rap for decades. It’s often associated with background music for elevators or the soundtrack at the dentist office. Smooth jazz is less a genre of music than a highly researched radio format and, although it’s heyday was in the 1990s and it’s mostly associated with Kenny G, its origins go back the mid 1960s when a select few jazz musicians crossed over to pop music and had music purists riling. Artists like Grover Washington Jr. and George Benson took the style to new heights and created the sound that we all know and love….to hate.
How to listen to smooth jazz Spotify playlist: open.spotify.com/user/estelle...
Some songs don't just stick in your head, they change the music world forever. Join Estelle Caswell on a musical journey to discover the stories behind your favorite songs.
Check out the entire Vox Earworm playlist here: bit.ly/2QCwhMH
Note: The headline for this video has been updated since publishing.
Previous headline: How smooth jazz took over the ‘90s
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Love Vox Earworm? Hop onto a live Q&A with Estelle Caswell, the creator behind the series, on December 20 at 5 PM ET by joining the Vox Video Lab, our new membership program on KZbin. She and other creators on our team will bringing you behind the scenes in a completely new way! (And if you missed the livestream, you'd still be able to see a recording). You can learn more about the other perks of joining the Video Lab at www.vox.com/join.

[@joshua_colson]

ik it isn't exactly groundbreaking or well known but could you think of doing a video on neutral milk hotel

[@MoHasYoutube]

Oh, I missed it. Was it recorded?

[@jaysonbiggs8979]

I loathe, despise, detest smooth jazz. Words are not strong enough.

[@danielmax9944]

Where's the link to the promised Spotify playlist?

[@bbrenddon]

House music took over the 90s

[@spiksplinter]

Smooth Jazz is the "lofi hip hop radio - beats to relax/study to" from the 80's

[@lilashleelexsyreyes]

hahaah totoally!!

[@nakenmil]

Exactly! I was going to say that "Chill Synthwave is the Smooth Jazz of the 2010s", but this might be more accurate.

[@AlexBulldogGarcia]

yes!

[@markadams625]

Nailed it.

[@2011thetemp]

Bullseye!

[@pourtaghi]

I used to work at a record store and the owner always played smooth jazz. My addled twenty year old brain couldn’t fathom why anyone who liked music could appreciate it, and he said something that blew my mind wide open. When I asked him what deal was with smooth jazz he told me, “It was the seventies. Vietnam had just ended, and people were tired.” I never criticized the genre again.

[@FoxNewsChannelSux]

Dude, plus the '70s were like one of the most violent decades of all-time from serial killers to cults to domestic terrorists and drug wars. The '70s was hell, especially in major cities. I could see why when all that was going on, people were like, "Hmmm, let me tune out for a while & listen to like George Benson"

[@futuregroove1217]

I have worked in the contemporary jazz world for 24+ years, and this video was an unbiased and balanced perspective on the genre. A lot of people bash it, but what is wrong with music that chills people out and gives them some peace of mind, in a world that is as stress inducing as the one we all live in? I applaud Estelle for her fair treatment of a very polarizing style of music. If the jazz-heads or other purists hate it, then they don't have to listen to it.

[@maocharlisme]

Love this comment! Music alltogether can serve many different purposes as long as it moves the heart, soul and spirit in some way or another throughout it aswell ♡

[@erickborling1302]

I've been a jazz musician for 40 years. Smooth Jazz just isn't jazz. It's instrumental R&B. The misleading label was always the source of controversy, why not simply correct that. Rachel Dolezal did not get to call herself black just because it was convenient.

[@oh_rhythm]

@@erickborling1302 yeah, a lot of things get mislabeled; kinda childish dismissing a genre because of that. Too bad you weren't there to label it as instrumental r&b back in the day, maybe jazz heads would've been able to enjoy it

[@mrexcellent1]

AMEN! I totally agree with you! As a musician in this genre, I have been doing this before 1987, the year WNUA 95.5 first aired in Chicago. This genre is the soundtrack of my life. Smooth Jazz is a genre that brings people together rather than today's music that divides us. The songs they play today may have its temporary moment of glory, but Smooth Jazz is eternal. Even when stations across the country dropped the format in favor of other genres, Smooth Jazz was still gaining ground and emerged into Internet radio. There are many artists today that keeps the format alive such as Althea Rene, Brian Simpson, Julian Vaughn, and countless others. Smooth Jazz gives peace of mind, relief from stress, and appreciation of life. No other format can do that. For those that thought they killed the format, they are sadly mistaken. The same thing was said about rock music many years ago that it wouldn't last, and take a look at it now. To those people, it is too late to do anything about Smooth Jazz. The work has been done, and it is here to stay permanently. Hello tomorrow. Long Live Smooth Jazz!

[@sequoyahcisneros8719]

I think it comes mostly from how people think of Smooth Jazz as actual jazz, so they refuse to hear any actual jazz. I am a jazz dude and I sometimes listen to Grover, but the frustrating part, mostly, is people assuming you play Kenny G when you say you're a jazzer.

[@BlaxicanBeautyTV333]

Literally my childhood. Parents played this everytime we were in the car. Reminds me of whole foods, barnes n noble, borders, rainy cities, mummured conversations...

[@LadyxBleu]

Maryam - Master of Movement, this is so on point! Smooth jazz always makes me nostalgic for rainy days and borders, some of the best times of my childhood!

[@kushking420]

I feel bad for you. I'm glad my dad always had classic rock on in the 90's

[@f2lyt806]

Omg same!

[@extremedrivr]

Don't forget Elevators in the 90s played Jazz also!! Awesome music to jam to.

[@LONE_WOLF_GANG]

Smooth jazz turns every place elegant and every awkward situation into a "smooth" one. Elevators and Art exhibits are a perfect example. It's like the lube of life's vibes.

[@AnonymousUser77254]

Lone Wolfgang sounds tacky imo

[@LONE_WOLF_GANG]

@@AnonymousUser77254 So is lube. Still smells horrible but somehow makes life just a little less dry.

[@faisal3398]

@@LONE_WOLF_GANG huh.

[@chesterplemany]

@@faisal3398 Lone Wolfgang said smooth jazz is like lube; it makes the vibes of life less dry.

[@LauraAndres]

Well said.

[@NateandNoahTryLife]

This music series has been really, really well done. Starting to creep up on borders as my favorite Vox show.

[@jeremySJThompson]

Agreed, it is creeping up to Borders

[@aturchomicz821]

Nate and Noah Try Life and its also really really boring

[@jeremySJThompson]

@@aturchomicz821 L

[@mimimarcus]

It beats Borders for me 'cause I'm a music fan.

[@kiprs]

check out some older Earworms, such as the ones on MF Doom and Radiohead. crazy good stuff

[@Samatargurey]

Erm...... what about *Sade* and her impact on Smooth Jazz...

[@mostmost1]

Great point

[@Blujonny11]

Never heard Sade on any smooth jazz stations. The ones I heard throughout the country were all instrumental.

[@americanswan]

Sada was huge in like 2000 on The Oasis in DFW. Awesome!!

[@popland1977]

@@Blujonny11 She's mentioned in this video briefly

[@TC-cd5sm]

They played Sade on KKSF 103.7 on the regular

[@koiyujo1543]

smooth jazz isn't as popular as it was but the fact that it's becoming more back to our world again slowly it's a bit of a blessing I just hope that happens sense we need this

[@collapsible1639]

I single-handedly credit Vaporwave for the resurgence of interest in smooth jazz.

[@pkattk]

Yeeeep.

[@chaimean8704]

A B S O L U T E L Y

[@sudevsen]

It's essentially slowed down elevator jazx

[@veganvipers11]

Chillwave Gods - Toro y Moi, Washed Out have our souls

[@ThatOneGuy7550]

Yeet

[@levidyer1837]

You have to do a video about the history of Bossa Nova, how an US saxophone player, Stan Getz and Brazilian musicians, João Gilberto, Antânio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto and many others wrote songs, like the 2nd most covered song ever, Girl from Ipanema from the Grammy award winning album, Getz/Gilberto and many other hits that helped keep Jazz alive during the 60's.

[@jibsmokestack1]

Alive in the commercial mainstream maybe but Jazz creatively and conceptually was at it's height in the 60s. From Miles's second great Quintet, to Mingus, Ornette, Jackie McLean, Herbie, Wayne Shorter, Cecil Taylor, Bill Evans and many more. Jazz became increasing more progressive from the Bebop era on-wards and lost the public the more and more especially when Free Jazz came along. Notable exceptions are the more soulful end of Hard Bop and the Bossa Nova craze.

[@andreinarangel6227]

...whenever you mention Jobim you have to include Vinicius de Moraes, who wrote the lyrics to Girl from Ipanema, and who revolutionized Afro-Brazilian jazz and theater.

[@levidyer1837]

@@jibsmokestack1 Yes, you're right.

[@levidyer1837]

@@andreinarangel6227 Yes, definitely.

[@NBass136]

BuT KEnNy G iS so gO0d

[@alfred2467]

I shook hands with Kenny G at a Whole Foods a few weeks ago. He loves tomatoes.

[@NBass136]

stfu

[@Auriflamme]

I love carrots and satsumas, but I have never met Kenny G.

[@iancraig5471]

Thats the beauty of this genre. Most of the artists are pretty down to earth. I got to meet the guys from acoustic alchemy. Good guys. My dad had drinks with the late great Chuck Loeb.

[@deemoe7301]

Lol 🤣

[@deepfryer6709]

r/thathappened

[@CharlesMosley129]

I got into Smooth Jazz in late 1998. I was a 15 year old Black teenage boy from West Philadelphia at the time and was beyond tired of 1990's r&b, rap, pop, and on and on. I got to the point where I had to find something else to listen to. I stumbled across Philadelphia's WJJZ 106.1 one afternoon. I gave it a chance. until that point in my life, I was NOT a fan of jazz music. but I was pleasantly surprised. song after song played and I became obsessed! I began recording songs on cassette tapes on my stereo. one day, a promo aired telling listeners to tune in at 8am for the 8am commercial-free smooth jazz hour. I was hooked. I have been a smooth jazz fan ever since. everyone from Kenny G, Eric Merrienthal, Najee, Boney James, Richard Elliot, George Howard, David Benoit, Dave Koz, Steve Laury, and everyone in between are my favorites. for my late teens and early twenties this music was the soundtrack of my life. and yes, I still have those tapes. they are organized in shoe boxes, numbered and cataloged.

[@Kintizen]

90s Smooth Jazz was RnB with music improvisation.

[@slinilo]

Darth Decider Go check Nils Gessinger

[@sleeplezznightz]

I was the complete opposite lol. I was 110% jazz until around 96-2000 after Biggie died and turned all rap, until mid 2000's when rap turned... well... ugly.

[@Leorubysun]

I miss the jingle.

[@DavidB-rx3km]

I did the same a couple of years ago. Mostly sick of the stuff I’d been listening to, I somehow discovered 80’s smooth jazz like Michael Franks and Al Jarreau. I hear d a Franks song on Jazz FM in the UK and downloaded some of his albums and just got into it. I don’t care if it’s cheesy, there’s some nice melodies and tunes on that stuff, and I don’t care because I’m too old to care. I’ve progressed to 80’s Japanese jazz funk recently, like Casiopea. God knows where that’s going to lead to.

[@--Paws--]

Smooth-jazz was the lo-fi hip-hop of today?

[@pahwraith]

It's funny cause I've been on a J Dilla kick this past week. I know realize who all those lo-fi producers are trying to copy and failing badly. It's like comparing Chuck mangione to Miles Davis.

[@EclecticoIconoclasta]

I don´t think you hear lo fi hip hop in corporate offices like you did and do with smooth jazz

[@BothHands1]

God i love lofi

[@D_isco_D_ancer]

Yes

[@kykale]

@@EclecticoIconoclasta nah corporate offices are things from the 20th century. Modern offices are those free wifi coffee places. That's where the lofi hip hop is.

[@coolo73]

The video didn't mention the "adult contemporary" format which really swallowed up smooth jazz, pushing out the more R&B/funk/latin based stuff, leaving Kenny G playing next to Celine Dion and Michael Bolton.

[@lymarie1974]

I do agree

[@Illuminism23]

Next, you NEED to do an article on why Hip-Hop artists sampled a LOT of smooth Jazz in the 90s. Straight up.

[@devonmillar6287]

Queens, NY native. CD 101.9 rest in peace. as integral in my childhood as my SNES or PS1.

[@sweetrain50]

I LOVED CD 101.9!

[@emberman535]

Losing that and KISS FM (98.7) pretty much killed my interest in FM radio.

[@Housewarmin]

This will forever be the sound of every wedding video , news channel, and elevator in the 90s.. and don't forget every function, where the adults say "ayyeeee yall dont know nothing about this!"

[@PHlophe]

and Hotel lounges

[@mxchic05]

😂😂

[@victorsolano6369]

Dude you remember!

[@georginatoland]

Kenny G sent the nicest thank you letter to the company I worked for in the mid-eighties, the Wherehouse. In it he thanked us for believing in him and his music. We sold a solid amount of Kenny G tapes. 👍🏼

[@willritter4076]

I'd be honored if some Kenny G fans would check out my acoustic piano & vocal performances of PURPLE RAIN by Prince and SEPTEMBER by Maurice White (Earth Wind & Fire) on my YT channel in tribute to 2 of the greatest vocalist-songwriters in music history. Live acoustic with no autotune. Thanks and RESPECT to the legends.

[@NESherv]

I remember the Wherehouse! We had one in the Bay Area!

[@jirky015]

I have no doubt he's a nice, humble guy. I respect that. However, that does not excuse the terrible music he put out.

[@zmk55]

Man I used to keep the TV on the weather channel at night just to fall a sleep to smooth jazz.. I miss those days!

[@Marcus-cf3qf]

The original "Chill Lo-Fi Beats to Study To"

[@daishoryujin95]

Accurate, maybe he could attempt to break into this market.

[@fadethechannel]

Anita Baker is the QUEEN. One of the most unique voices ever in mainstream music

[@kz1000ps]

And I think Al Jarreau (RIP) would be the king of this music, ya?

[@StephySon]

fadethechannel then what would you consider Sadé?

[@DUANEYAISER]

I had just thought of her as R & B, but maybe those lines were blurred at the time. Vocal smooth jazz suits me just fine, but most instrumental smooth jazz irks me a bit. Not the good stuff though; Mangione, Bob James, as well as everything mentioned from the 70s in the video is great and legit to me.

[@DorianPaige00]

She was heavily criticized at first and many said she couldn't really sing.

[@romariohamid]

Hey Arnold had some really good smooth jazz for a cartoon

[@RTistic]

Yoooooo it was amazing! They actually had a lot of Straight ahead and even some Fusion on there.

[@seansmodernlife9823]

That show had the best soundtrack

[@Kai-lx1xm]

romariohamid facts that why I loved that show

[@KDS211]

Everything about this statement is perfect.

[@westie430]

Same reason I loved the anime shows Cowboy Bebop & Big O😍

[@FaithDow]

This is the companion piece to Quiet Storm imo. They go hand in hand. The Wave!!! I used to listen to that station.

[@Kintizen]

Wow. How can you not include Bossa Nova as a huge *Smooth Jazz* influence. It goes back to 60s and not 80s. Perfect fusion of Samba, Jazz and Blues. Charlie Byrd has big contribution in American Bossa Nova. Had huge influence in Frank Sinatra music. Even Elvis Presley had few songs within the genre.

[@HTV-2_Hypersonic_Glide_Vehicle]

But bossa Nova has more of a straight jazz influence. Not really a smooth jazz influence. Not many bossa Nova songs had smooth jazz instruments. Bossa Nova from the '60s doesn't sound like smooth jazz from the early 2000s and late '90s. Fusion Jazz from the '70s makes more sense of being an influence of smooth jazz in the '90s.

[@Kintizen]

@@HTV-2_Hypersonic_Glide_Vehicle You are wrong on that. Smooth Jazz came about in the mid 75s. So I correct myself and say the statement should be the other way around. Bossa Nova influenced the creation of Smooth Jazz. In the 60s Stan Getz, Hank Mobley, Zoot Sims, Paul Winter and Quincy Jones all had Bossa Jazz albums. Smooth Jazz just doubles down on American music of the time, Blues and Soul, pair with Fusion Jazz. But it's awesome to see where different people took Jazz to.

[@HTV-2_Hypersonic_Glide_Vehicle]

@@Kintizen would you give me smooth jazz examples from the '70s? All I can find is Fusion Jazz funk

[@seanswinton6242]

@@HTV-2_Hypersonic_Glide_Vehicle I can. Saxophonist Grover Washington Jr's early works like "Mr. Magic", guitarist George Benson's "Breezin'", "The Other Side Of Abbey Road" early Lee Ritenour, Deodato, David Sanborn, Spyro Gyra, Chuck Mangione, Tom Scott, Bobby Humphrey-flute, Roy Ayers Ubiquity, Herb Alpert, Hank Crawford, Earl Klugh, and numerous others. There were vocalists and other less popular instrumentalists playing violin, xylophone, harp, flute, and synthesizers etc. I can give you plenty. I worked in music retail for about 30 years, play saxophone, and studied music of multiple genres. I also have reference books.

[@HTV-2_Hypersonic_Glide_Vehicle]

@@seanswinton6242 Yeah Mr. Magic is considered Jazz funk not smooth jazz.

[@shanhussain6114]

I'm from Bangladesh, and my dad had gone to the US sometime in 94 and brought back a huge collection of cassettes of recordings of CD101.9 Oh, such delightful memories...

[@PHlophe]

Bangladeshi Shan, you could earn a fortune with those K7 . still got those ?

[@shanhussain6114]

@@PHlophe I'll have to check. Most probably not. But a few of them may still be with us.

[@JourdanCameron]

I have fond memories of CD101.9; that was always playing when I was little.

[@AlbertLara]

I used to get mad when my parents would put CD101.9 in the car because I wanted to listen to Hot 97. NYC was the center of hip hop in the late 90s.

[@hypersoulgamer]

No kidding. That’s from the tri-state NYC area. I listened to that station all the time.

[@HotWheelsClubhouse]

Major Hey Arnold feels. Kids of the 90s love smooth jazz for this very reason. At least I do.

[@TheCMONEY54]

man, give me his room with this music all day, Arnold defied age and was just the definition of cool

[@kasperdomagala4544]

Also, Bob Ross.

[@sarcasticgrunt01]

Same here. Lee Ritenour and Pat Metheny are my go to guys, amongst others. Lol

[@rockwallaby550]

this is a dope video. I love fusion but often couldn't verbalize why there was a disconnect between that and smooth jazz-- because they're really close. I can see how in context to programming for radio it overlaps in a way that waters/watered down the jazz part to create a vibe that was pinnacle easy listening. Taken separately lot of those musicians I profoundly love- Hall and Oates, Herbie, Grover Washington JR, Sade.. but when amalgamated with Kenny G it's like the ultimate power ranger assembly becoming a faceless soulless automaton.

[@turntablist]

This might be my favorite episode of the show ever. I've had to watch it like 10 times, and I've went and bought vinyl copies of many of the albums discussed. So smoooooth.

[@SomethingStrange1579]

Wishing everyone a beautiful. Safe and productive week. Happy holidays

[@sheddinator]

thanks man, you too

[@arsec42]

You too!

[@GiovannatheSTRONG]

Same to you 😊

[@firmanang9132]

Shouout to vox’ animators and graphic artists

[@arunphillips6977]

Smooth Jazz is something I have re-discovered after sort of leaving it back in the late 90's. But, I'm hooked on it again! Thank you for this superb video, you have such a pleasant voice to listen to!

[@MrJonathanlopez100]

Smooth Jazz is the pallet cleanser of music

[@deggis4]

I laughed.

[@andriealinsangao613]

You're joking, right?

[@s3cr3tpassword]

A Spotify playlist full of smooth jazz???? Well somebody's getting pregnant tonight.

[@JuiCeBoX19]

... and it's me.

[@sparkjournal]

Well if you think about it someone's getting pregnant every night and this has been your Insufferable Internet Dude Moment of the Day™ thanks for listening

[@lct8954]

😂😂😂😂 facts but Kenny G is the bomb

[@ylonmc2]

most boring sex ever, play marilyn manson, thank me later

[@RtistiqSkubie]

@@ylonmc2 thank you never

[@liquidpebbles7475]

The history of jazz is amazing, from a dancing genre (swing) to the quick deconstruction of jazz itself since bebop to free jazz, something that's bound to happen to all genres once they acquire artistic consciousness

[@PACKERMAN2077]

Yeah it's like it begins as this primitive amalgamation of elements in its most basic and raw form and then once it establishes its existence as sound, those that have performed it for certain amount of time learn to deconstruct it and experiment to push the techniques to their limit. Then, after all experimentation has been possibly done then it becomes refined into a polished, marketable, elegant, product that has been perfected with no room for error and universally, aesthetically sonically, pleasing... Then there's a punk phase where a new generation of Consciousness comes in with no skill whatsoever picks and chooses what they like and throws it together with a disgusting degree of (for lack of a better word) sloppiness?... And the cycle repeats itself

[@liquidpebbles7475]

@@PACKERMAN2077 exactly :) glad someone else shares my thoughts

[@PACKERMAN2077]

@@liquidpebbles7475 the very presence of this cycle is evidence of the legitimacy of any particular genre of sound as "real music". It's reached it Apex of maturity, progresses past the point of stagnation, and regresses to a like, post-modern infancy. Straight jazz had it, Rock-and-roll had it, now rap is going through it 20 years later. EDM is going through it too. Even disco has a "punk" subgenre, where caution and care for normal conventions and societal Norms is thrown out the window, and everything is permitted. 😂

[@liquidpebbles7475]

@@PACKERMAN2077 if you want to get deep one could argue this is the process of the human life too, since art imitates life, I wouldn't say it's far fetched

[@eudofia]

I discovered Smooth Jazz in the 90's and it is still my favorite music genre till today. As a matter of fact, I am streaming the Smooth Jazz station I created on Pandora right now. It might not be as popular as before, but there are hundred of Smooth Jazz radio stations out there. Two in my city alone.

[@zaidagrace2263]

I grew up listening to smooth jazz and yacht rock. I loved it. It was my lullaby. Still have a playlists of my favorite songs on Spotify. It was actually my early exposure to smooth jazz that led me to jazz. I still love it. ❤️

[@NateandNoahTryLife]

before the weather channel turned into *TOP 10 NATURAL DISASTERS THAT WILL KILL YOU RIGHT NOW*

[@moriallen643]

Gotta get those views

[@officialpierluk]

Hahaha!! Yea following the thrends, then it was smooth jazz not it's click baits

[@joshuaszeto]

smooth jazz probably chilled out so many people that should have evacuated a hurricane that IT IS the killer!!!

[@HotStrange]

George Cipollone And comments like yours that are cringy, useless, and not at all funny.

[@hirokokueh3541]

how about the Weather Report ?

[@masoncraine650]

As a jazz musician, I greatly appreciate these ear worm episodes! Keep it up!

[@dachanist]

As a jazz musician, your first thought should be, why are herbie hancock and Kenny G being put into the same genre by someone who couldn't sing you a major scale... but yeah good channel all around. Seriously though, what musician would group the good tracks here into smooth jazz. There is one decent Smooth Jazz song in existence and only one - Feels So Good by Chuck Mangione. The rest is either elevator music, hold music, or some sort of non standard soul or funk.

[@irrelephant8258]

Get out

[@masoncraine650]

@@dachanist I see your point, but Vox isn't trying to appeal to the tiny percentage of musicians who live and breathe on the difference between big bands, smooth jazz, and constructive idols, they're getting a music style that is mostly misunderstood to the general public and branching it out to people who wouldn't normally listen to jazz.

[@masoncraine650]

@@irrelephant8258 cool story.

[@dachanist]

@@masoncraine650 I know man but come on, Kenny G is to Herbie Hancock as Nickleback is to Jimi Hendrix. I watched one of these where they put J-Dilla's hand playing an MPC up on the level of Coltrane's sax. I like the channel and derive musical value out of it but sometimes it's just wrong... so so wrong...

[@dnguyen9747]

Brings me back in time

[@andyberman4552]

Smooth Jazz was part of my childhood my parents raised me with it WNUA 95.5 millennial by the way on the to the dentist, pediatrician, eye doctor, psychologist my mom would turn on the Ramsey Lewis Show. Also every time my family goes to Chicago as a child or to my aunts condo in the city for Chanukah, Rosh Hashanah, brake fast for Yom Kipper, or Passover RIP smooth jazz radio RIP WNUA 95.5 Chicago

[@Grimsace]

Who at vox is really into jazz lately?

[@holdmybeer]

fkn hipsters

[@TheShachattack13]

Nash Rohack Smooth Jazz isn’t Jazz

[@Treetops27]

Do ya like jazz

[@TheArtkaw]

@@holdmybeer Anybody can like can jazz

[@rumblefish9]

@@holdmybeer Jazz should be cherished. Jazz is American history.

[@ethansmith4442]

The same niche is filled today with chill genres like low-fi hip hop instrumentals, ambient house, and even some neo- psychedelic rock. Music is more classified by mood now than by technical genres. On the flipside people who listen to death metal might be introduced to hiphop through a group like the death grips. People like "feel a type of way" less so about wanting to hear an exact type of melody that Baroque classical music brings.

[@slmjkdbtl]

jazz is not about challenging the listener, it's pure ear pleasure just like pop music for somepeople

[@clouddog2393]

I disagree . Jazz should be challenging , adventurous , demanding of the listeners attention and concentration everything smooth jazz is not . l know it,s a tired and worn out description but "background music "is exactly what it is . That said l,m not adverse to it liking Grover Washington , George Benson , Bob James etc . lf these artists are Jazz however is open to debate .

[@slmjkdbtl]

​@@clouddog2393 I think we're just using the word "challenging" differently, I use it more like "to act against natural instinct", just like metal music can be challenging for some jazz listeners, being uncreative or listen to uncreative music is challenging to creative people, that's why a lot of jazz musicians can't listen to some Kenny G, it's just too challenging to enjoy or endure!

[@KatbotZ]

I grew up with smooth jazz which eventually lead me into loving old jazz greats! Fantastic songs, I hope this video inspires people to check out this fantastic genre.

[@karla1497]

I had a lot of insomnia as a kid, and the only way I could fall asleep was to music. When I was in 6th grade, I found my local smooth jazz radio, 95.5 KYOT, and I was hooked. It was the only station I could fall asleep to, until it shut down in the mid 2000s. I still love the genre, and I think listening to that station as a kid, made me appreciate music so much more.

[@mikejmckelvey]

Download I ♡ Radio. They have a great smooth jazz station. And no commercials.

[@timgrisham9051]

This takes me back to my childhood. My mom loved the smooth jazz station in Chicago WNUA. I'd be hearing this stuff from the back seat all the time. I can still hear that lady singing the call letters WNUA 95.5.

[@clarenceevans4001]

Me and my Aunt would listen to WNUA.

[@mostmost1]

I listened to it along with hip hop in the 90s. Wnua was so relaxing after bumping wutang all day and House music all night.

[@digital245]

We need a "Grover" Documentary!

[@BBT609]

KENNY G NEVER HAD LESSONS!? WHAT!?

[@jackn1061]

I’m surprised that comes as a shock to you lol

[@lucasalvarado7064]

@@jackn1061 XDDDD don't clown on Kenny that hard bro XDD

[@DonMarzzoni]

I grew up listening to smooth jazz. My grandma and dad listen to it all the time. It was my go music to let me sleep. No other music can put you to sleep like smooth jazz. When my grandmother died I was 13. It was the saddest thing I ever went through. I cried for at least 5 years. The only thing that help me was smooth jazz. I felt like she was there. You have no idea what the genre of music did for me. It saved my life. When I got older something changed, the radio station smooth jazz 104.3 in Denver went off air, I kind of fell off listening to it. I was the odd ball, made fun of for listening to it. I always told myself I will never stop listening through. The emotions, the deepness, the relaxation of artists like Paul Taylor, kim water, paul hardcastle, bony James. Trust me no other music can really get you through the work day, and help you sleep. Hopefully it makes a comeback. Thank you for recognizing this music for what it is.

[@AlbertLara]

I used to DJ at clubs during my college years. The only music I could listen to after a night of loud booming club music was smooth jazz.

[@DavidAlejandroLive-Evil96]

dude, give a chance to a kind of blue album instead

[@kyushanerd4954]

My dad is a big jazz fan and he has a lot of grover washington and Benson CD's. When I heard that I had to play one of those CD's on a cassette to play it on my Walkman.

[@fturla___156]

Thank you for this video. Now I need to collect all these jazz albums and CDs for my music collection because I absolutely know most of the people that listen to it will love the sounds.

[@ShaudaySmith]

Earworm is the best Vox series. Estelle is awesome with her research

[@homo-sapiens-dubium]

Grover washington is the Bomb! such an interesting history lesson! so much makes sense now! great!

[@alwaysjazzyful]

Such nostalgia, my childhood. The music I would go to sleep to😊

[@spark300c]

same here

[@BigRobChicagoPL]

I remember in the early 2000's when the smooth jazz radio station in Chicago used to be very popular.

[@Siquomb1]

WNUA.... Miss it soooo much. 😢

[@hevyonez97]

They should have never taken WNUA off the air....that was one of the best things about Chicago, the smooth sound of the city....

[@Siquomb1]

@@hevyonez97 I know, right? We could buy their CD samplers featuring the best music of that year. So shocked when they went off the air. Driving in my car is not the same without WNUA on the radio.

[@hevyonez97]

@@Siquomb1 same here...i'm glad I kept all my smooth jazz tapes and CDs from back then....i still keep them in rotation....

[@BigRobChicagoPL]

@@hevyonez97 yeah. It was something to be a little bugger in a car seat cruising around town while my parents listened to this station late nights. Now it's all about Bluetooth since we don't really like the current selection

[@CrystalWilliamsoncoach]

Love Grover Washington, Herbie Hancock, Gato Barberi, and George Benson!! Thank you for this series!! My father was a hardcore jazz lover but after some convincing (me the eclectic music lover daughter) came around to "smooth" jazz in the 90s. I remember for a short period of time, CD 101.9 in NY did have a jazz block on Sundays for Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, early Miles Davis, etc.

[@ddoubleu170]

Crystal Williamson - My father, also! ✊🏾♥️

[@tarag7292]

My mother loves jazz, with Hank Crawford being her favorite.

[@Eggmancan]

When I was younger, I was one of those to turn my nose up at the bloodless smooth "jazz" and go for the more challenging stuff, but these days, boy do I need this music to help me chill.

[@isabelaoliveira9270]

Really like this kind of music. I used to list to this on the radio when I was a kid.

[@RLJSlick]

Love this video, great job! I was introduced to jazz in the 80's and 90's because of smooth jazz, and love it even more today! Thank you!

[@rocjackson5975]

The difference between straight jazz and smooth jazz is that with straight jazz it requires more thought and effort to fully enjoy. Whereas with smooth jazz, you can just relax and enjoy it. And you can also dance to some smooth jazz cuts :) They are both great... they just have different functions. And smooth jazz has a larger audience that also opens a gateway to exposing people to straight jazz. ...Something that they probably wouldn't be open to otherwise...

[@ttoren2935]

Correct except ur not because smooth jazz is equivocal to getting my brain smashed in with a mallet

[@AndreasDevig]

Music is not supposed to require "thought and effort" to enjoy. You either like it or you don't.

[@twannapermenter8229]

I would say that a smooth jazz a like a crossover forn of jazz. Classical jazz was more about improvisation than melodies.

[@soyokou.2810]

Jazz doesn't have to require thought to enjoy. Most jazz tunes aren't that complex :) Not to mention dancing to jazz... that's what everyone used to dance to back in the day.

[@jaysonbiggs8979]

Straight ahead. Not "straight jazz."

[@El_Chuncho]

The jazz police are gonna eat this video up lol.

[@jzneter736]

Too bad they are dutch

[@OffworldRecords]

😂

[@maxvoloshin_nefariousaquarius]

Yes we are

[@nathalieconnor5530]

How easy is it to covert?

[@sleeplezznightz]

I have to admit, the "Where did smooth jazz come from?" comment in the video triggered me.

[@jammawun]

I used to sample a ton of smooth jazz in the 90s. Straight up elevator music. Everyone used to ask what I was sampling and where did I find it. On the radio of coarse. But I never told them that. All the other producers at the time was using their parents old records. The stuff that I was sampling from the radio was new at the time. They had no idea. I was killing it. I never sampled Kenny G.

[@TikoVerhelst]

As a Gen Z, I see smooth jazz everywhere nowadays. It began when I noticed Nintendo doing jazz stuff in their soundtracks. But now I see it everywhere. Some of my most clear examples are the Steven Universe OST, Nintendo, the demo songs on keyboards and modern pop music (which is doing more and more jazz stuff, probably taken not from jazz, but just from smooth jazz). It is only now that I discovered that all this stuff was taken from 90s smooth jazz. (It was when I watch out of all things an infomercial of a Dutch cruise from the 90s that used smooth jazz althroughout that I noticed smooth jazz was the answer to my search to give this "cooperate cozy jazz" a name.) Oh, and all the "morning coffee jazz" KZbin channels, that's probably all a continuation of smooth jazz as well. Look them up, they're everywhere here on KZbin and they're so bladn I'm 99% certain they were all inspired by smooth jazz. (Bland music, but very, very nice to listen too. :) )

[@termeownator]

Goddamn I miss the weather channel. Tearing up a bit here

[@anncokafor]

It still exists

[@Jinaria101]

Ann Okafor i think what he or she meant was that they probably don’t play smooth jazz during the outlook segments anymore

[@Shawol360]

It's weird how there is still so much hate for smooth jazz, but fairly recent unabashed love for yacht rock when both genres share a lot of musicians and sound choices.

[@eartianwerewolf]

Woah what rock ? Lol

[@Shawol360]

@@eartianwerewolf Yacht Rock - Doobie Brothers, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross...

[@CurtisL8.3066]

yacht rock is terrible. unless "Run Like the Wind" by Chris Cross counts. then im in

[@RodrickColbert]

@Kaptain Kid yacht Rock is making a come back...lol

[@danlc95]

Easy Rock.

[@ancientelevator9]

I discovered Smooth Jazz last December and immediately fell in love with it. Being born in 1989, I recognize this as the music that the grown-ups listened to. I feel like a real adult now XD

[@SupahFans]

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince introduced many hardcore Hip Hop fans to Smooth Jazz thru sampling, scratching & rhyming over classic joints 🎶

[@DorianPaige00]

"Summertime" Kool and the Gang from 1975

[@potterinhe11]

Finally an answer to the question "What is a smooth jazz?"

[@pabloplato]

the "a" in your question is a superfluous indefinite article.

[@silverrush2508]

pabloplato All indefinite articles are superfluous, in Hebrew they don’t exist.

[@davidsims5796]

I love smooth jazz music, they don't have many smooth jazz radio stations anymore

[@Theyungcity23]

I'll never be able to wrap my head around 90s pop culture. And I lived through it.

[@juliesender1560]

love your series on jazz being a jazz dj for a community radio station. keep it up! so much great info and you put it across in such an interesting , informative and reflective way. thanks!

[@towaii]

it's obvious that smooth jazz became so popular because it simply 🌸 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠 🌹 𝑠𝑜 🌷 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 🌺

[@marinewelsh9927]

Why do you watch breadtube?

[@towaii]

@@marinewelsh9927 if you think vox is breadtube, the label has truly lost all meaning

[@marinewelsh9927]

@@towaii I never said that vox was breadtube, I’m asking why you watch philosophy tube and let’s talk about stuff

[@towaii]

@@marinewelsh9927 because they make good videos

[@marinewelsh9927]

@@towaii respectable

[@smisoshezi1441]

Every time... the Earworm just make me love music even more, especially what's been covered thus far.. 🤗

[@rickylovesyou]

Earworm lol not earthworm.

[@smisoshezi1441]

@@rickylovesyou my bad, thanks... I stand corrected

[@MattWilsonVegasFan]

Very well done! Grew up listening to smooth jazz and still do. Glad you covered the 70s era and how it evolved into the 80s/90s.

[@blwckguyhere]

Smooth Jazz mellows me out and Jazz Fusion and Older styles takes me to another world.....

[@kung-fukennyfamily]

Any lovers of Jazz out there in 2018???

[@AnonymousUser77254]

Kung-Fu Kenny Family Jazz is great... But smooth Jazz can get lost.

[@charliechaplin7959]

Fly Beep Do you know Robert Glasper or The Bad Plus?

[@penusp]

Terrace Martin my generation jazz elite

[@deshaunbakerogthug2764]

Kung-Fu Kenny Family Trying to get into Contemporary but yeah I like some Classic Jazz.

[@zacharymorin5696]

Me definitely!

[@TheTalyn08]

can you do one for 'New Age' music? as a 90's baby i can say that the stuff was EVERYWHERE during my childhood...the first album my parents ever bought me and my sister was Yanni's 'Tribute' Album in 1997 when i was just 7 years old! There was also artists like Enya and Delerium and what not...but the whole genre just disappeared!

[@IronMan-tk8uc]

Oh the 1990s was so good when it came to this kind of smooth music. I really wish I'd go back to that wonderful era. It was so embedded in my veins that whenever I think about my childhood, it has a smooth background to it, always!

[@aladee1]

You guys really need to make more of these, it's like Christmas whenever one comes out.

[@sarcasticgrunt01]

Got into smooth jazz when I was 10, been hooked ever since. 💖

[@someone-go8ee]

I remember KKSF 103.7!!! It used to be a smooth Jazz radio station but now it's classic rock. I miss it

[@garyd.7372]

Same here. I miss it as well. KKSF was the only station I listened to while driving; it helped me overcome many fits of road rage. Now that it's gone, the car radio is always off.

[@FerFel5]

@@garyd.7372 Early 2000 living in San Francisco learning to be a Towtruck driver, KKSF helped me to keep my license clean and succeed in the business dealing with that 101 traffic.

[@princeok12]

WINELIGHT CHANGED MY LIFE. THANK YOU GROVER!

[@maikerugo]

Another interesting aspect that was narrowly missed is the relationship of smooth jazz and quiet storm formats (apparently the quiet storm format was named earlier than smooth jazz). There's a certain amount of overlap (George Benson is played fairly regularly on both formats, but I would find that the quiet storm stations would play Santana's "Europa" more often and the smooth jazz stations would play Gato Barbieri's more often-though I'd love to see playlists for hard data) and I feel like quiet storm is part of the trend towards the smooth jazz format.

[@BriansThing]

I was born in the 90s so this all makes sense as to why I learned the saxophone!!! 😂😂😂

[@BringBackMasculinity1987]

Im a loyal subscriber to your channel. Really dig your stuff! Just bought my 1st sax at 31 years old.

[@BriansThing]

@@BringBackMasculinity1987 so cool! I hope you enjoy the sax!

[@ebbie0074]

Lol so true, when was middle and high school everybody wanted to play the Sax 🎷

[@takisobieblues]

Polish radio presenter Marek Niedźwiedzki said: smooth jazz is music that musicians play not for their pleasure but for the pleasure of their listeners.

[@ihsantriapramanda1973]

Nothing's wrong with that I guess. Every segment of the market have their preference, some might want to listen to a more intellectually-driven, challenging music, some just want to have easy-to-digest stuff

[@tropezando]

My family mourned the loss of our local smooth jazz channel in the early 00s. We mourned again when Comcast took Weatherscan away. Just hearing these songs again makes me wistful. Here's to Vaporwave for bringing the smooth back.

[@AlbertKimMusic]

smooth jazz is what every dad blasted in the condo when you were 5

[@davidcombest9268]

Use to love listening to WNUA 95.5FM in Chicago growing up, reminds me of rainy Sunday afternoons family dinners and relaxing, love smooth jazz and it's offspring Lo-Fi Beats

[@annisarheannon]

Is Lofi Hip Hop the millenial smooth jazz??

[@thirdeyelandslide_]

Definitely

[@elmandarin1002]

*Gen Z/millennial

[@Rmcm1984]

Wow never thought about that. Good comparison

[@TheBariNoZ]

all i could think about while watching this video is how opening a lofi radio station would be the best... but who REALLY listens to radio these days.. smh

[@oRuTRa45]

Absolutely. Spot on.

[@Mbwunion]

This music will always be associated with the corporate world

[@DropBearAntix]

especially telephone on-hold music.

[@Ireneharnack1138]

I’ve had a love affair with Smooth Jazz since my childhood in the 1970’s and thanks to KKSF my local Smooth Jazz station, that love affair only grew and grew to the point that I rarely listened to anything or anyone else. So incredibly sad when they went completely off the air. The lack of their influence in my life makes my heart ache daily!

[@DylanBlackmanMusic]

I look forward to every new episode. Every single one of these has been killer. Thank you.

Love it ! Great video and sound selection ! Smoooooth Jazz is what we need now ! 😘❤️ (kisses from Paris)

[@Ditypo]

Chinese restaurants seem to gravitate to Kenny G also

[@PHlophe]

um... do they though ? for the most part the china blues type of chinese restaurant favour mandarin jazz or throw back from the colonial hong kong .

[@kykale]

mine's have Celine Dione and the Backstreet Boys

[@DUANEYAISER]

Kenny G with MSG

[@hirokokueh3541]

because from 50s to 80s, China was in a "Nationalism competition". it's like Space competition, but it's about "Who is the real China", so they banned western music and focus on their "real Chinese music". so in 90s they finally let western music publish in China, Kenny G and Richard Clayderman got on the train smoothly.

[@Joshlama]

I was in Hong Kong recently. There was advertisements for a Kenny G show in Macau.

[@katherinepagan4860]

That clip of the Weather Channel's old graphics with the smooth jazz was a gut-punch in my childhood. My mom always had that on in the background as she prepared us for bed every night.

[@mollycollins59]

we need more of these !!

[@HaunaniPao]

This is a great series to learn more about the genre. I think my parents were into smooth jazz. Thank you. :)

[@eudofia]

Vox, thank you for the little history of Smooth Jazz. When I discovered Smooth Jazz in the mid-'90s, I just fell in love with it immediately. Most of the artist that I got to know then were: Kenny G(of course), Bob James, Rick Braun, Peter White, Dave Koz, Boney James. Because of all the aforementioned artists, I just assumed then that Smooth Jazz was a White man's version of Jazz. Little did I know that it was Black pioneers like Wes Montgomery, Grover Washinton and George Benson that started it all.

[@erinsymone1645]

Reading the comments and I had no idea smooth jazz was so.... unliked? I always loved it --- my mom listened to it a lot when I was growing up and I have such fond memories of it. plus it was and is so relaxing to listen to.