How smooth jazz took over the ‘90s

Summary

The script explores the rise and fall of smooth jazz, focusing on Kenny G's journey from an untrained musician to a symbol of the genre. It delves into the origins of smooth jazz, its commercial success in the '80s and '90s, and the impact of new audience measurement technology on its decline. The narrative highlights the genre's popularity among everyday listeners and its complex relationship with jazz purists, offering a Spotify playlist to experience the music's allure.

Takeaways

• 🎷 Kenny G, known for his saxophone skills, gained fame without formal music lessons and became a symbol of smooth jazz.
• 📈 Smooth jazz rose to prominence in the 1990s, with Kenny G's music being a staple on radio stations and in commercials.
• 🔗 The genre's popularity was linked to its use in various media, including the Weather Channel and golf commercials, which helped it reach a wide audience.
• 🎶 Smooth jazz originated from jazz fusion in the late '60s and early '70s, with artists like Grover Washington Jr. and George Benson blending jazz with pop elements.
• 📀 Creed Taylor's production style, which incorporated pop-friendly instruments, played a significant role in making jazz more accessible to mainstream listeners.
• 🏆 Despite criticism from jazz purists, crossover jazz artists like George Benson achieved commercial success and even won Grammy awards.
• 📻 The term 'smooth jazz' was coined by a market research firm to describe the new radio format that combined jazz with easy listening elements.
• 📈 The rise of smooth jazz radio began in the late '80s and peaked in the late '90s, with stations like The Wave leading the way.
• 📉 The introduction of the Portable People Meter (PPM) technology in the early 2000s is believed to have contributed to the decline of smooth jazz radio due to technical compatibility issues.
• 🌐 Smooth jazz was particularly popular among at-work listeners seeking a stress-free background music, but economic factors also played a role in its decline.
• 🎵 Despite its critics, smooth jazz has a rich history and has produced some exciting and innovative music that continues to find an audience.

Q & A

Who is Kenny G and what is his significance in the context of the video?

Kenny G, also known as Kenneth Gorelick, is a famous saxophonist who gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. He is significant as he became the face of smooth jazz, a genre that became ubiquitous during his peak years.

What was the impact of Kenny G's performance at Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993?

Kenny G's performance at Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993 was a high-profile event that further solidified his status as a prominent figure in the smooth jazz genre.

What is the 'Great Big Bertha' mentioned in the script, and why was it significant for Kenny G?

The 'Great Big Bertha' is a brand of golf club driver. It was significant for Kenny G because it transformed his least favorite club into his favorite, as he endorsed it in a commercial, showcasing his involvement beyond music.

How did the music style known as smooth jazz originate, as described in the script?

Smooth jazz originated from jazz artists crossing over into pop music by recording instrumental covers of pop hits. This crossover was pioneered by musicians like Grover Washington Jr. and George Benson, who made radio-friendly jazz music.

What role did Creed Taylor play in the development of smooth jazz?

Creed Taylor played a pivotal role in the development of smooth jazz by producing records that blended jazz with pop elements, making the music more accessible to a wider audience.

Why did Grover Washington Jr.'s music, particularly 'Mister Magic,' draw criticism from the jazz world?

Grover Washington Jr.'s 'Mister Magic' drew criticism because it was seen as prioritizing radio-friendly appeal over the technical virtuosity and harmonic complexity that jazz purists valued.

What was the significance of George Benson's 'Breezin'' album in the context of jazz music?

George Benson's 'Breezin'' was the first jazz album to go platinum, indicating a significant commercial success and a major milestone in the crossover of jazz into mainstream popularity.

How did Broadcast Architecture contribute to the popularization of smooth jazz?

Broadcast Architecture contributed by conducting market research and giving the radio format a name—'smooth jazz'—which helped in branding and marketing the genre to a broader audience.

What was the role of the 'Portable People Meter' (PPM) in the decline of smooth jazz radio?

The 'Portable People Meter' (PPM), a new audience measurement technology, is believed to have contributed to the decline of smooth jazz radio because its electronic beeper system was not compatible with the soft, ambient sound of smooth jazz, leading to inaccurate audience measurement and a subsequent drop in stations playing the format.

What was the target audience for smooth jazz radio, as mentioned in the script?

The target audience for smooth jazz radio was ordinary, everyday people, particularly those looking for stress-free background music during their workday.

How did the script summarize the legacy of smooth jazz despite its decline?

The script summarized the legacy of smooth jazz by acknowledging its 20-year run and highlighting that despite its lack of critical acclaim, it offered a form of music that many people enjoyed and found soothing.

Outlines

00:00

🎷 The Rise of Kenny G and Smooth Jazz

The paragraph introduces Kenny G, a renowned saxophonist who gained fame in the late 20th century. It discusses his unique approach to music, having never taken formal lessons, and his significant cultural impact, including performing at Bill Clinton's inauguration and appearing in golf commercials. The narrative also explores the broader phenomenon of smooth jazz, which became ubiquitous in the 1990s. The paragraph delves into the history of jazz fusion and crossover jazz, highlighting artists like Grover Washington Jr. and Wes Montgomery who contributed to the genre's popularity. It discusses the commercial success of crossover jazz, the tension between jazz purists and the new style, and the role of radio in promoting and defining smooth jazz.

05:01

🏆 The Commercial Success and Critique of Smooth Jazz

This paragraph continues the exploration of smooth jazz, focusing on the commercial success of artists like George Benson, whose album 'Breezin'' became the first jazz album to go platinum. It discusses the public's embrace of this new sound, despite criticism from traditional jazz enthusiasts who felt the music was more about commercial success than artistic integrity. The paragraph also details the role of market research firm Broadcast Architecture in naming and promoting the smooth jazz format, leading to the launch of several radio stations dedicated to the genre. The narrative highlights Kenny G's central role in the smooth jazz movement, his popularity, and the genre's peak in the mid-1990s.

10:02

📉 The Decline of Smooth Jazz and Its Legacy

The final paragraph examines the decline of smooth jazz in the early 2000s, attributing it partly to the introduction of the Portable People Meter (PPM) technology by Arbitron, which disrupted the way radio audiences were measured. The PPM's technology was not compatible with the soft, ambient nature of smooth jazz, leading to a decrease in stations and a shift in format. The paragraph also considers the economic downturn as a contributing factor to the genre's decline. Despite its critics, the paragraph acknowledges the genre's role in providing stress-free music for everyday listeners and suggests that, beneath the surface, smooth jazz contains some exciting and innovative music that deserves recognition.

Keywords

💡Kenny G

Kenneth Gorelick, known worldwide as Kenny G, is a prominent figure in the script and a key influencer in the smooth jazz genre. His music, characterized by its soothing and melodic saxophone tunes, became synonymous with the smooth jazz movement. The script mentions his rise to fame, including performances at Bill Clinton's inauguration and appearances in golf commercials, illustrating his impact on popular culture and the music industry.

💡Smooth Jazz

Smooth jazz is a subgenre of jazz music that is characterized by its polished, melodic, and accessible sound. The script explores the origins and rise of smooth jazz, highlighting its prevalence on radio stations and its appeal to a wide audience. It discusses how artists like Grover Washington Jr. and George Benson contributed to its development and how it became a dominant radio format in the 1990s.

💡Grover Washington Jr.

Grover Washington Jr. is mentioned as an influential jazz saxophonist whose music helped define the crossover jazz sound in the 1970s. His album 'Mister Magic' is noted for its smooth and radio-friendly tunes, which were a departure from traditional jazz and more aligned with pop sensibilities. His music serves as a bridge between jazz and popular music, influencing the development of smooth jazz.

💡Crossover Jazz

Crossover jazz refers to jazz music that incorporates elements of other genres, such as pop and R&B, to appeal to a broader audience. The script discusses how artists like Grover Washington Jr. and George Benson created music that blended jazz with pop, leading to commercial success and a wider listenership. This genre's fusion of styles played a significant role in the emergence of smooth jazz.

💡Jazz Fusion

Jazz fusion is a musical genre that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s, combining jazz with rock and other contemporary styles. The script references Miles Davis' album 'Bitches Brew' as a seminal work in jazz fusion, which pushed the boundaries of traditional jazz and laid the groundwork for the more accessible sounds of crossover and smooth jazz.

💡Broadcast Architecture

Broadcast Architecture is a market research firm mentioned in the script for its role in naming the smooth jazz radio format. The firm conducted focus groups and interviews to understand how listeners perceived the new jazz sound, ultimately leading to the term 'smooth jazz' being adopted. This naming was crucial in branding and promoting the genre to a wider audience.

💡The Wave

The Wave is one of the first official smooth jazz radio stations, as highlighted in the script. Its launch marked a significant moment in the history of smooth jazz radio, as it helped to popularize the genre and establish it as a distinct format. The station's programming and marketing strategies played a role in shaping the public's perception of smooth jazz.

💡Portable People Meter (PPM)

The Portable People Meter (PPM) is a technology used for measuring radio audiences, introduced in the early 2000s. The script suggests that the PPM may have contributed to the decline of smooth jazz radio by not being compatible with the genre's soft, ambient sound. This technology shift led to a decrease in smooth jazz radio stations, as they struggled to adapt to the new audience measurement system.

💡Jazz Purists

Jazz purists are individuals who prefer traditional, complex, and experimental forms of jazz music. The script discusses how these purists often criticized the smooth jazz genre for its lack of technical virtuosity and harmonic interest. They saw the popularity of smooth jazz as a dilution of the art form, valuing artistic integrity over mass appeal.

💡Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock is a renowned jazz pianist and composer mentioned in the script for his innovative work in jazz. His album 'New Standard' is cited as an example of exciting music within the smooth jazz genre, showcasing that even within the accessible and popular sounds of smooth jazz, there was room for creativity and artistic expression.

Highlights

Kenny G, known for his saxophone skills, reveals he never took music lessons.

Kenny G's music was featured in golf commercials and on the Weather Channel, indicating his broad cultural impact.

Smooth jazz, the genre Kenny G is associated with, was prevalent on radio stations across various frequencies.

The origin of smooth jazz is explored, starting with the performance of multiple saxophonists at Bill Clinton’s inauguration.

Grover Washington Jr. is identified as a significant influence on Kenny G and the smooth jazz genre.

Jazz fusion emerged in the late '60s and early '70s, blending jazz with rock and pop elements.

Creed Taylor's production style, which incorporated pop elements into jazz, was a hit with mainstream audiences.

Grover Washington's 'Mister Magic' album exemplified the crossover jazz sound that was both smooth and commercially successful.

Jazz purists criticized the crossover jazz for its lack of technical virtuosity and harmonic interest.

George Benson's 'Breezin'' was a platinum-selling jazz album that further blurred the lines between jazz and pop.

The term 'smooth jazz' was coined by a market research firm to describe the new radio format that was gaining popularity.

The Wave, one of the first smooth jazz stations, played a mix of music that included non-jazz tracks to appeal to a broader audience.

Kenny G's popularity peaked in the 1990s, with his music being a staple of smooth jazz radio.

Smooth jazz radio's rise and eventual decline is traced, with the format's peak occurring around 1997.

The introduction of the Portable People Meter technology is suggested as a factor in the decline of smooth jazz radio.

The economic downturn of the early 2000s may have also contributed to the fall of smooth jazz radio stations.

Despite its critics, smooth jazz had a 20-year run and left a lasting impact on music and culture.

The video concludes with a Spotify playlist recommendation for those interested in exploring more smooth jazz music.

Transcripts

Just hear me out.

It's 1986.

Oprah is interviewing sax player Kenneth Gorelick -- known around the world as Kenny G.

"It's like you are talking to, and doing a few other things with this instrument."

"Well I've never taken any music lessons so — " "Amazing!" " — I don't really know exactly what I'm doing."

In 1993 he played at Bill Clinton’s inauguration.

By 1996 he was starring in golf commercials.

"My driver use to be my least-favorite club in the bag, until I got the Great Big Bertha driver."

"Now it's my favorite!"

And his music was the calming soundtrack of

the weather channel.

Kenny G had hit his peak.

“Tell me that part about Kenny G again”

But it wasn’t just Kenny G; smooth jazz, the style of music he’d come to be the face

of, was everywhere.

"Smooth jazz, 94.7"

"Smooth jazz, 106.5"

"Smooth jazz, 98.7"

"This is smooth jazz, 106.9"

How did that happen?

Like, where the hell did smooth jazz come from?

Let’s go back to Clinton’s inauguration.

Kenny G actually wasn’t the only saxophonist performing.

In fact, Will Smith,

"This feels great."

The emcee of one of many inaugural events that day, brought out 10

sax players to serenade the jazz-loving president.

"Check this out."

This was like the who’s who of saxophonists,

but it’s this guy, standing right next to

Kenny G, where this story begins.

There's no question: Kenny G has one idol and he admits to it.

Grover Washington Jr.

In the late '60s and early '70s, straight jazz was all but gone from pop radio.

The music was becoming more experimental, and albums like Miles Davis’ “B*tches Brew"

established jazz fusion - an eclectic hybrid of jazz and rock - as the next iteration

of the art form.

But some jazz artists saw promise in pop music, and began crossing over by recording instrumental

covers of huge pop hits.

A shining example of that is jazz guitar virtuoso, Wes Montgomery’s,

1966 cover of “Goin' Out of My Head."

That record was produced by Creed Taylor, who filled out Montgomery’s mellow guitar

with strings and woodwinds - instruments that were more familiar to pop radio listeners.

This song sounded more like The Beach Boys’ "Pet Sounds" than it did most jazz records that

came out in 1966.

And it was a smash hit, because it established a formula for jazz that the everyday listener could

understand.

As this Billboard article put it, "The chasm between jazz and popular music was narrowing."

It was through Creed Taylor’s label, CTI, that Grover Washington Jr. became a household

name.

Grover Washington defined crossover jazz in the '70s.

His fourth album with Taylor was "Mister Magic."

Just looking at the cover, you know you’re going to listen to songs that are smooth as ****.

It really is, in the most simple sense an R&B

background, of a fairly slow tempo

with fairly slow harmonic change that's kind of grooving.

On top of that is Grover’s saxophone playing a simple, yet infectious melody.

The second he made radio-friendly songs, he lost a lot of respect from the jazz world,

and it was difficult gaining it back.

Here’s a quote on the back cover of his own record that reveals this tension:

Apparently a jazz critic went to one of his shows and

sat scowling at the bar. By the end of the show,

he said, "Cat can play."

Just having that jazz critic admit that he could play the saxophone,

was equivalent to a bushel of five-star reviews.

Any jazz player will give you a list of things that they don't like about it.

They don't like the lack of technical virtuosity.

They don't like the lack of harmonic interest, but in my opinion what trumps it all is popularity.

When you're dealing with art cliques, popularity is like poison.

If jazz purists were quick to dismiss Grover's "Mister Magic," then they sure as hell were

going to roll their eyes at jazz guitarist, George Benson's, "Breezin' " in 1976.

It was the first jazz album to ever go platinum.

The title track was originally composed by soul record producer Bobby Womack and bears

a strikingly close resemblance to “Goin' Out of My Head.”

George Benson is one artist that no one could refute, because he had the chops in

straight-ahead jazz.

And people were mad in the straight-ahead jazz industry.

To them, he chose success over art.

This Downbeat magazine review of George Benson says it all.

“Hearing George Benson on this album is like watching Marlon Brando in a Three Stooges

movie - such is the relationship between the art and artist.”

But, that didn't really matter to the public.

"This Masquerade," the single off the record, peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100,

and won the Grammy in 1977 for Record of the Year.

He does this scat-type singing, where he’s scatting and he's playing and the fingers are

following his voice.

And you couldn't say that wasn't jazz in 1976.

By the end of the '70s, dozens of musicians followed Benson and Grover’s breezy sound.

Even Taxi, one of the most popular shows to ever to be on television, used a Bob James

pop-jazz recording as their theme song.

The problem?

Well, radio didn't know what to call it.

This reporter just said “Not Quite Jazz, But Pretty Stuff.”

Enter Broadcast Architecture, a market research firm tasked with giving this promising radio

format a name.

"All these radio stations were coming on,

doing this format."

"It was like, what do we call it?"

"The way we did focus groups is a little different; we would interview people one person at a

time for 30 minutes."

A female radio listener entered the room.

"She was saying

'it’s jazz, but it’s not really jazz and it’s smooth.'

Then she goes, 'It’s smooth jazz.' "

"Yeah, that’s what it is."

"It really struck a lightbulb with everybody that was behind the glass watching."

Turn it on 94.7 - okay.

94.7.

"Ninety - four - seven."

That’s it that’s it, sh sh sh sh shhh!

"On behalf of all of us at Metropolitan Broadcasting, welcome to 94.7, The Wave."

What you just heard was the moment one of the first official smooth jazz stations went on the air.

"Within a few months KKSF in San Francisco launched.

WNUA launched.

CD101.9 in New York launched."

"It was a tipping point in the format for sure."

But take a look at how The Wave marketed itself - only occasionally did they actually play

what some would consider jazz music.

"We started testing everything from Phil Collins...

Even some Hall and Oates tunes."

"You know, vocal tracks that would help glue it all together."

"Smooth sounds for a rough world."

And make no mistake, Kenny G was at the center of all of it.

"CD101.9, it's called "Silhouette" and the artist, of course, Kenny G."

"Kenny G?"

"Who likes jazz?"

I love jazz.

"Kenny G can blow the storm up."

"Ladies and gentleman, Kenny G!"

Kenny G was known just as much for his hair as he was for his saxophone playing.

"He was the cool white boy. He was just a cool guy who played the saxophone."

"And I'm going to go ahead and say it, it's the money."

"He made so much money doing it."

"And this year's adult contemporary artist is…

Kenny G!"

"I don't know what to say, I would have never expected I’d win this thing."

Yes you did, Kenny.

This chart shows the rise of smooth jazz radio starting in 1987 when KTWV went on the air

and peaked around 1997, the same year Kenny G entered the Guinness world records books

for holding a note for over 45 minutes….. wait what?!

Some of smooth jazz’s most attentive fans were the at-work radio listeners of corporate

America.

"If you take The Wave to work with you and there's a fax machine in your office, jot down a few

songs that you'd like to hear on The Wave and fax them to us."

"We would get hundreds and hundreds of faxes, like within an hour the fax machine starts rolling."

Smooth jazz seemed like it would dominate forever.

But then, everything changed.

In the early 2000's Arbitron, the firm that measures audiences, introduced a new technology,

The Purple People Eater —

I’m sorry I meant to say the "Portable People Meter."

It's this little beeper -- people believe it killed smooth jazz.

PPM, which is still in use today - is an electronic beeper that captures audio tones masked in

the signal of radio broadcasts. Basically, it picks up audience listenership automatically.

It replaced a decades-long practice of using paper diary entries to measure audiences.

"People would write down for a week what they listened to and they would turn it in. Very easy for people to do."

"It went from that to,

what we want to ask you to do is wear this on your belt all day

and we want you to do this for a year."

But it often didn't work with smooth jazz.

The format’s soft, ambient sound didn’t allow for the signal to be consistently masked

in the music without being discernable to listeners - if the signal wasn’t embedded,

the beeper just couldn’t register it.

Polling site Fivethirtyeight tracked the number of six large-market smooth jazz stations

before and after PPM - in each instance they either changed formats or shutdown entirely.

But it might not have been all PPM’s fault

"I think it’s a reflection of what our economy did.

Our station went off the air when everything crashed."

Smooth jazz radio was music for ordinary, everyday people trying to get through their

day stress-free.

It certainly never cared about critics during its solid 20 year run, and unlike

straight-ahead jazz, it didn’t care so much about challenging the listener either.

And it’s why from the 1960s to the '90s

anything written about the music looked like this:

But dig deep into smooth jazz’s history and you’ll find some really exciting music.

"There was an album Herbie Hancock did call the "New Standard."

"Oh man that was good.

I'd come off there talking about that."

"I was like, Oh this is what this is why I'm doing what I'm doing."

Or go even further back to Grover Washington Jr.’s "Winelight."

"And just listen to it as you're cooking dinner or something."

"It's just chill, man. And it'll give you a feeling for why people fell in love with this music.

For such a long time."

Thanks so much for watching my little miniseries on jazz,

I hope to tackle so many more stories on this genre of music in future Earworm episodes.

Until then, I've got a great gift for you,

which is a Spotify playlist full of amazing smooth jazz songs that will definitely make you a convert.