What can I say............... Here we go again! Last month, Smooth Jazz station CD 101.9 in NYC left, less than 30 days later, DC's Smooth Jazz station WJZW is gone, exactly one week ago Smooth Jazz Denver left and now today, we just received word that Houston's Smooth Jazz station is no more. The station flipped formats today, and will soon become Hot 95.7fm...top 40 radio.
WOW!
Seems like internet radio stations and non-traditional marketing options are the new ticket for artists now!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
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48 comments:
I'm sorry to have to express what may be an extremely unpopular opinion, but I am a jazz musician, it's how I make my living, and I think my viewpoint might count for something. My feelings about the smooth jazz phenomenon are mixed; on the one hand, I realize, and am grateful, that many new listeners have become open to listening to instrumental and improvisationally-based music, and older, traditional forms of jazz, due to their exposure to smooth jazz. And there are a great number of very fine players working in the smooth-jazz format. I might even go so far to say that a band that I recorded and composed for, Fireworks Jazz, was in the forefront of the movement; we received airplay on Chicago's WNUA in the earliest days of that station's existence, and they were really among the pioneers of the radio format. That being said, my feeling is that the reason so many of the stations are changing format is because the artists and producers and record companies have truly become complacent and reduced the genre to a very predictable formula. From a behind-the-scenes perspective I know for a fact that most of the record companies and their producers have very strict guidelines as far as length of the track, tempo (bpm), instrumentation, and even key that the song is in, with the end result that 80% of the music being produced sounds virtually indistinguishable from each other. I still think it's a viable format, but in order to avoid becoming the new millenium's equivalent of Mantovani music, everyone has to step up to the plate and start to take more chances.
Steven Hashimoto, Chicago
Can anyone suggest an internet delivered smooth jazz website? With so many smooth jazz radio stations biting the dust there must be an internet site out there. Thanks to all...
HI Denise, after you posted the letters you'd received, Concert Promoter - Michael Schivo, when to your site and sent my letter to his entire mailing list. I was amazed how many people in the music industry wrote me afterwards. Artists, managers, promoters, even radio programmers. All positive, all relating closely to what I wrote. It has given me some very good contacts and I wanted to thank you for posting it.
Your friend, Michael Tomlinson
www.michaeltomlinson.com
This comment is reposted from received emails to Candid Jazz and Conversation.
Its my thought that LA and San Francisco will be next.
Tony @ The Clarke Group
This comment is reposted from The Candid Jazz and Conversation emails.
This is happening because Pandora and other internet radio along with iPods are MUCH more interesting than your average focus group driven Broadcast Architecture dictated stations that are out there.
Michael Powers
Guitarist, Composer, Recording Artist
http://www.michaelpowersmusic.com/
This comment is reposted from The Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
That is terrible. You said it. Looks like internet radio is the way to go.
Cynt~
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You know.....for a while now, Smooth Jazz radio has been like a dam.....a dam with a crack in it....leaking water. Well....now the dam his officially broken....and it's only going to get worse.
Jaared
This comment is reposted from the Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
Its the way of the world of smooth Jazz.. Most of these stations from coast to coast depend on each other to sat the format. (actually B.A. that's why we are here now) If you flew from in morning from NYC you heard the same Kenny-Anita -Sade-Paul Brown-Dave Koz- Earth Wind & Fire type format you would when you land in LA. If you viewed the websites of the Smooth Jazz stations they all look the same. The stations have touted the "Wine and Cheese" audience who are bamboozled over what Jazz is and what's not. Smooth Jazz shares its audience with the Old School stations, Michael Baisden stations and hot AC stations that plays 60% of what Smooth Jazz plays. I manage Bob Baldwin who this week out sold most of the top 20 of the R&R chart. In fact all of the top selling cd's this week got little or no airplay. Doesn't this surprise anyone? If I can date myself... back in the day if you heard a single on the radio, that album would be somewhere near the top of the charts. I think this is what happens in all other formats. So when will artist like George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Herbie Hancock Lonnie Liston Smith get back on Radio? This also crosses over to who gets booked at the large festivals.. Take a look at these festivals and you will see the trend I speak of. Thanks for keeping it real..... Hopefully we will see a change that does not create more unemployment in the format.
Tony Clarke....
This comment is reposted from Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
Sometimes its just too smooth. As I am an artist and a listener,(in my car on the road) I find it hard sometimes to stay awake. Smoothjazz should liven things up a bit with some serious funk once in awhile. Most baby boomers, which is there audience, came from the funk and dance feel. Your friend Mike was right. We all know when somethings "KILLER". Currently, listening to smooth jazz is our only choice to get a smigen of funk.
Smooth jazz needs to think seriously about their audience and play what they desire. Until then, you have funky/jazzy day...
Ed Taylor: Supported By Gibson
www.songsfromataylor.com
www.edtaylormusic.com
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Hello Denise
I ,my wife and our 1 year old son met you years ago at the Holiday Star at the David Sanborn concert. For some reason you had to leave and you gave us your tickets. Well that music stuck with him and now he's a drummer and keyboard player. At 15 he saw David again live at Governors State University a couple of years ago. It was awesome reliving that moment.
I started listening to the WAVE in chicago, I think it was 106.7 or something like that before WNUA took over. The music was very fresh and hittin BUT over time a format of techno/dance jazz and sax harmonizing became the standard. It got really boring. Remember when Ramsey had a contest years back for new talent? What happened? We were told many times by Micheal Fischer that our material did not fit the format. (I can provide samples). I confronted Mr Fischer about what the format actually was. I recieved a vague answer.
When NUA started playing instrumental versions like Ready or Not by After 7 or the Shoop song by Whitney Houston, what format was he talking about? Richard Elliot, Dave Koz, Candy Dulpher, Huge Groove, Botti...they all sound the same. Brian Culbertson came out strong but he too became NUized. Most every song played by the smooth jazz stations starts off with a dance track and the artist plays over it...the chorus approaches and hear comes the harmonized sax again....just weak, repetitive. It's like their vomiting material to satisfy contractual obligations.
What happened to Najee, Sanborn, Sample, Foreplay, Enya, Acoustic Alchemy? It seems like a lot of artists got blackballed somehow. My son was inspired by Sanborn. Artists today don't really inspire would be musicians...unless you want your jeans hangin low , talk with your fingers and steal...i mean...sample material. Jazz inspiration is zero.
I know this is a lenghty email but what did the program directors expect when smooth jazz evolved into easy listening? Check out Live365.com , new artisits new music. Musicians actually play with other musicians, not a sequence. Smooth Jazz stations now are boring with a predictable format.
Why is smooth jazz sations dissappearing? Is it the Internet radio stations? WNUA hardly plays Pat Metheney, but Pat does have his OWN station on Live365.com. I think that says a lot! If the Smooth Jazz stations don't support new artists/musicians...they will go somewhere else where they feel appreciated..the internet or even overseas.
ps...who ran the WAVE in Chicago back in the early 90's? Bring em back!
Charles Hill Jr
This comment is reposted from the Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
I think the format has, long ago, become stagnant. There seems to be a recurring playlist and the same block of songs get played, over and over and over. I still listen to it out of habit and in hopes that one of the repetitive offerings will be an old favorite. It use to be you'd always be introduced to something new and add it to the list of music you wanted to go buy. If I hear that stupid 'Captain of Her Heart' song, (which I didn't like the first time), again I'll stomp my radio to bits. I guess what has happened to Smooth Jazz is the same thing that has happened to all of radio, in general. Few interesting personalities to connect to and the same old repetitive crap.
David Hearnes
This comment is reposted from the Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
Having run a smooth jazz station, I know that they function as little more than white noise for the majority of listeners.
When I switched formats to ALL jazz – 10 formats including all the eclectic varieties of jazz throughout the 20th century – I had people call to complain. However, they couldn’t voice what it was they wanted or missed.
I had someone call in while playing Miles Davis “Kind of Blue” and ask why we weren’t playing jazz anymore. I ask them “what do you call this?” They said, “I don’t know, but it certainly isn’t jazz”. I asked what artist or song they would like to hear – and they couldn’t name me one.
I had others call while playing more funky contemporary jazz – Grover Washington, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Marcus Miller -- and saying things like “quit playing this black music and go back to jazz.” When I told them that jazz was an African American art form – so what kind of jazz did they want to hear that wasn’t black. . .they had no response.
I told listeners that I would play anything that they wanted to hear – and no one that claimed to enjoy “smooth jazz” could name one artist or song. Those that did gave me names like Jean Luc Ponty or Jeff Beck – who never got air play on any smooth jazz radio. So no one was paying any attention – even those that listened all day every day.
Basically the people that listen to smooth jazz radio don’t like jazz – and very few have any idea what jazz actually is. They don’t know the history, the artists, the styles, or the possibilities that exist in jazz. . .all they know is that it’s nice white noise, and it isn’t too annoying. It’s not about the music, it’s about background noise.
I think the marketing of jazz into a package called “smooth” has caused damage to the art form, and to the careers and creativity of jazz artists that were forced to fit that particular mold.
Jazz can be smooth – but it isn’t a genre, it is a style of playing. However, it has been marketed as a genre – creating an audience that doesn’t know what it is, who is playing it, or how to define it. They also don’t go to the store to buy it, anymore than they would buy a CD featuring bird sounds.
There are smooth versions of ragtime, blues, gospel, Dixieland, traditional, hot, swing, big band, bop, cool jazz, fusion, funk, etc. However, smooth is not a style, smooth is not a genre. If anything, smooth is a wet blanket which has been thrown on the creativity of jazz artists. They had to play it to get airplay – but no one really wants to buy it.
I just hope that jazz is allowed to reemerge in all it’s multifarious glory without the shackles of “smooth” holding it back! Maybe the death of smooth jazz radio will cause a renaissance of real jazz – all styles, all forms.
Sincerely,
J. Scott Fugate
General Manager, Program & Music Director
Eclectic 89.1 WBCX
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They should play more jazz and less R & B masquerading as smooth jazz. The programming is so watered down that half the time you can't tell if you're listening to smooth jazz or R & B. Smooth jazz to me is Jeff Lorber, Fatburger, Kenny G, Ramsey Lewis, etc; funky jazz, jazz fusion or bluesy jazz featuring improvisational instrumental or vocal solos.
I love Al Green and other R & B guys, but I can easily hear them on an R & B station. I just believe smooth jazz has to go back to being true to itself. I would mix some classic jazz in with the smooth jazz e.g. Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Stanley Turrentine, etc.. Thanks.
S.B.
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denise jordan walker:
john ertl here, talent buyer and festival producer for several events in the midwest. I've been in the entertainment business for over 30 years, and I can tell you there are 3 reasons in my mind for the demise of smooth jazz (it's been happening for 3+ years now):
--the terrible consulting system by broadcast architecture;--the total disconnect of owners and general managers at radio to the music listener;--the sad lack of creativity or nowledgeable 'ears' of most program directors. when smooth jazz/ b.a. misses the likes of norah jones and michael buble (yes, broken out by other radio formats), you know there is something amiss. when a format would rather 'consult' playing the likes of motown moldies, mariah carey, celine dion, david pack, al green, and whitney houston than invest into its future artists, one knows their research is flawed and manipulated for their own purposes. when program directors suggest to me hall & oates or david pack for a jazz festival, one knows they are trying to hold on to their 'last chance' job in radio. when terrestrial radio thinks the merger of 2 satellite radio companies is their ompetition, one knows they don't understand where technology is going or how we find our new artists today. that pretty much says it all from my perspective. excellent new artists are out there (ryan shaw, alice smith, elisabeth withers, ledisi),acts like these deserve every spot now played by whitney,maria,celine,and jack jones (me and mrs. jones one more time? give me a break!). how about some good programmers with a work ethic and music 'ears' who are given a fair and timely chance by management to show their talents? denver and cleveland smooth jazz programmers show the residuals of that, and they also understand the mportance of the 'local artist connect' unique to every market. when smooth jazz (and indeed all radio) goes at it again with fervor, creativity, localism, and passion, the cream will once again rise to the top. they say it takes a major 'incident' to generate change, maybe nyc and dc smooth jazz going away will precipitate that change. let's hope so for the sake of fresh music and talented artists!
john ertl
This is reposted from the Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
Hello Denise,
I wrote an open letter to the management of CD101.9 when that SJ format was changed to Rock. I caution that some of the language is harsh yet it was necessary to make my point clear. I feel that the circumstances surrounding the demise of WJZW in DC is probably no different that here in NY:
I for one am not sorry to see CD101.9 go. In an advertisement for the new rock station, it is even mentioned how boring it is to have a station that plays the same music for 20 years, and asks, where was the new music? The murder of CD101 was probably premeditated. It would not have taken a rocket scientist to figure out how to raise the listenership for the station. Any hint of any real change and real variety was ignored for years. The format didn't change just because music and program directors did.The "Chill" experiment was pure bullshit as was the chopping up of "catalogue" tunes like "Westchester Lady" and "The Lady in My Life". Did anyone at the station really feel that editing the tunes was an improvement? If CD101.9 HD has the same format, there won't be too many listeners there either because the station only succeeded in doing two things, being boring and repetitive.
Yes I lobbied for my own songs to be played on the station, but one or two of my tunes would not have saved the dismal format that was already in place, so this is not sour grapes on my part. In a word, the station sucked. The Groove Boutique and The Legends of Jazz, both syndicated, were the only beacons of light on that station. The station lacked three things, vision, consistency and purpose. I hope that the new rock format possesses those three qualities, otherwise you might as well have left the same call letters and call it CD101.9, ROCK.
Onaje Allan Gumbs - pianist, composer, producer,
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I have to tell you first off that I have always harbored great disdain for the marketing term "smooth jazz." While I hate to see any good music--regardless as to how appropriately it is labeled--kept from us music fans, I speculate that the maybe there was bit of an identify crisis that finally caught up with it. Folks who want "jazz" won't be satisfied by Phil Collins, and folks who want Phil Collins type music won't be happy with Boney James. I would like to think that people were ready for something more artistically challenging, but I'm sure that ain't it. Not in this era of the dumbed down America.
I hate to see people out of the job, though, and certainly pray that everyone finds a new career home.
Eric in Atlanta
This comment is reposted from the Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
Hi Denise,
I am not the least bit surprised that it happened.
Living in Chicago I have watched the Rise & Fall of Smooth Jazz listening to WNUA which you are so very familar.Besides Ramsey Lewis and the occasional interesting guest on the Dave Koz show I know have no reason to ever listen to it,being that I've already heard their 20 SONG PLAYLIST ONE THOUSAND TIMES! I really like and respect Ramsey and the only time they let him play his favorites is on a Sunday night 2 hour show.Everytime I flip by it they are playing the same old SADE,or Earth,Wind&Fire song.C'mon,there is SOO MUCH more great jazz,and Fusion that needs to be heard.For example,I have never heard Marcus Miller,Roy Ayres,Lenny White,EVER on my smooth Jazz radio station.And the songs they do play of Al Jarreau,George Duke,and Stanley Clarke are NOT nearly their best.Quite simply they play the same songs over and over again,and AGAIN.They do play the occasional nice song by Fourplay,Lee Ritenour,and Larry Carlton,but not worth it when you have to endure all the garbage that they play...
Not surprised people tuned out,
Dean...
This comment reposted from The Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
Ms. Walker:
Unfortunately the U.S. market is tuning out of jazz radio or radio period! With music being so readily available on the internet and I pods and things of that nature new media is really putting the squeeze on radio as we know it. I produce to jazz podcast’s tilted “Gospel Jazz Podcast” & “The Jazz Suite” when I first started three years ago I hoped people in the states would like the podcast’s, but it turned out my biggest listeners are in Europe!! I mean Japan is my top download for “The Jazz Suite” my point is the American listening audience has not allowed the art form of jazz to grow if you look at every form of music it has been aloud to grow out of Rock we have soft rock, easy listening, out of R&B we got soul music, neo soul etc.. Some of the artist that I’ve grown up listing to I know have permission to play on my podcast! Jazz artist now have to do what African Americans did before the civil rights act go over seas where they can get there music played and people actually want to see them. Let’s look at what has happened these last ten years, artists like Phil Perry, Wayman Tisdale, Kirk Whalum, and a host of others switch labels every few albums that you almost have to hunt for them. Following jazz is becoming an art form, but the bright side of all of this is people like you and I along with countless other across the world are doing our part to keep jazz alive and well. You have to think no form of music ever truly dies its just no longer the popular thing!
Sincerely,
Norvell Molex Jr.
CEO / Owner
Spirital Dance L.L.C.
This comment is reposted from the Candid Jazz and Conversation email.
Denise:
I’ve followed jazz since 1964 (I was 14 years old at the time). Here are my thoughts, I’m sure NOT original…
I like smooth jazz, but I think it has become too associated with a limited number of performing artists, all working a somewhat limited musical language (Kenny G, Dave Koz, Kirk Whalum, etc., etc.) It’s not to say that each don’t have their own individual styles, but the textures seem to overlap quite a bit to me. I think the same thing happened to the music that was recorded in the 1990’s by record companies like Wyndham Hill. To me, their music all sounded quite alike, and never really held my interest because they were musically simplistic. For example, I like when a tune or composition modulates to other keys-it keeps your ear “interested and awake.”
I think smooth jazz stations naturally appealed to people who could not take the percussive sounds of modern jazz, both pre and post fusion eras. For example, my wife gets really annoyed at drum solos (even by people like Art Blakey and Max Roach). It may have been helpful if these stations had broadened their playlists with recordings of different eras that may have been pleasing to the smooth jazz audience. This would have broadened that audience’s repertoire, and perhaps attracted listeners like me who would not tune in to a steady diet of smooth jazz. I love taking smooth jazz listeners and showing them OTHER STUFF! Eventually they become fans of all jazz (or at least MORE jazz).
I realize this may have “bastardized” the purity of the smooth jazz stations, but maybe they’d survive better with broader appeal.
I think a similar thing has happened to WXPN in Philadelphia. Their mix of predominantly singer-songwriter fare really started to get monotonous, and I found myself listening less and less.
Good luck.
Jim Sereno, ‘72
James F. Sereno, Assistant Dean
Rutgers School of Business-Camden
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Hello Denise,
While it is pretty shocking to see so many biting the dust all at once, I can think of a few contributing factors at play. First & foremost, the entire spectrum of entertainment options has so greatly expanded, that all the more traditional forms of "transmitting", whether radio, tv, movies, etc, & even live music venues, are losing "audience share", no matter the genre. Here in Atlanta, it appears the local "Smooth Jazz" station is doing ok, but we've seen some former top radio stations, covering "indy rock", "MOR/Pop", "country", & even talk, flip formats, & their longtime top DJ's out of their jobs.
When I saw a news report saying that video games revenue account for more than the entire motion picture industry, & music industry! Another reason why our formerly thriving live music scene, despite triple the population, is now only a dribble....
Finally, I think some of the Smooth Jazz stations have been far too formulaic, sticking with too stodgy & small a playlist, little local "flavor" (due to prerecorded & even non-resident DJs), and basically a sameness & staleness that is the antithesis of Jazz.
Russ Davis, formerly of CD101, was a pioneer of Smooth Jazz, originating a show while based here, called "Jazz Flavours" (since he was mainly a rock fan, and began to get into Jazz via the Contemporary, Fusion, & New Age avenues). Beginning with a few hours on Sundays, it grew to become a seven-day a week, five hours a night, huge hit. He would play whoever he'd come upon that he liked, turning the city on to them at the same time. Whether it be Grover, Benson, Sade, or George Winston & Andreas Vollenweider, he would play them, and his listeners would share in his enthusiasm. Plus, he'd play a local Atlanta artist's recording ever hour, and pump up the many great players & bands, around at that time. It created a "Village of Jazz Flavours", the city's music scene was abuzz, & he'd often be found, after his show, digging on all the live music in the many clubs.
Sticking so strictly to a format, with a limited & often "moldy" playlist, can only engender boredom & restlessness; and with XM/Sirius, Internet radio, and iPods, there's little reason to put up with it, (not to mention commercials).....
So, while it is sad, seeing any genre of music disappear from a city's airwaves, that's life in this new century, and those who don't adapt, die..... or at least leave the air.
As someone who's been a devoted player, listener, and fan of music, especially Jazz, in it's many "flavours", for decades now, I really don't know what to say anymore. Like a Maui surfer dude, all we can do is focus on keeping our balance, staying on the board, and riding the wave best we can, wherever it may take us....
Take Care,
Steven Charles
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Oy Vay......another smooth jazz station gets toe-tagged. When I go to the studio tonight, I'm going to ask my producer if we can change the format of the next CD to Heavy Metal or something else that will be around in 10 years. It'll be a good excuse to get those leather pants out of the closet again....now if I could just FIT in them.......
;-)
Paul Thomas Yoder
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Well - you asked for comments on this so here goes. First - I'm a bit of an odd duck. A fortune 500 marketing executive with high level brand experience and a Smooth Jazz musician with what Rick O'Dell at WNUA Chicago calls one of his favorite all time holiday CDs and some decent Smooth Jazz radio play along with over 20,000 copies sold in 2006/7.
My thoughts are this...I mean I could do an entire strategy plan for how I'd
fix it, but I'll give you the high points... First of all Smooth Jazz is
NOT dying...its committing suicide.
They spent Millions creating a very clear, memorable and concise brand. One that attracted the best demographic an ad buyer could want, people with high disposable incomes and was able to connect emotional on the most basic
levels. They sprinkled in some R&B as well as Motown to appeal to an urban
market - but all in all they stayed true to the format. Instrumental, exciting grooves, some vocals interspersed but in the end great driving and
office music. It was fresh since it wasn't just "light" pop reruns..even
if some of the tunes were remakes, it still was fresh and exciting.
Then...the beginning of the end. Not satisfied with a great target demographic with high end ad revenues, they get greedy and start to go after the "lite" market and start playing Elton John's "Candle IN The Wind" type music which doesn't really attract the "lite" listeners as they already have many choices and only succeeds in eroding their "Brand". Now they start getting known for just about anything (death to a brand) and people stray away and they fail to attract new "loyal" listeners...loyal is important because those folks do not dial hopp...like many of the lite listeners do.
The second strategic misstep was to start to dial in the instrumental music that was left so tightly that it all ended up sounding the same. Craig Chaquico, Mark Antoine and others find it increasingly hard to get on the
radio. Early in the day they would feature new artists, have an American
idol like call in show to see who wins and both entertain as well as expose people to new music. Other than an exciting spurt by Steve Oliver a few years back and some new cool grooves by Nick Colionne and Mindi Abair its all starting to sound pretty generic.
Now factor in the digital downloads that mean less of a return on investment for the artists and you have not only the death of a radio format but also a scary time for musicians where a top 10 hit could potentially only sell 5k
copes. The festivals that are entrenched will keep it alive for a while
but as stations fade and no new artists get mass exposure, so will memories and it simply won't be enough to play an event to keep afloat.
Now this is all my humble opinion, but based on basic marketing and branding essentials that don't vary much no matter what the product, market or demographic. Brand dilution is hard to recover from...its possible, but somebody needs to take some drastic steps and I'm not sure the big networks are willing to risk..its a cash cow they will ride to the death and then
move on. We need some vision out there and the entrepreneurial spirit for
Smooth Jazz to survive (at the station level)...I've got some great ideas and the skills to execute them - who is out there to help lead the charge with me?!?!?!?
Bryan Lubeck
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I believe the audience is tired of the 'manufactured aspect' of today's
Smooth Jazz genre.
I Love Smooth Jazz.
I Love the Sensuality & the Passion of it.
But I have grown tired of the,'manufactured rhythm sections'.
I believe the same thing has been slowly happening to the radio listeners.
A drum machine and midi software, cannot create a Passionate Performance.
Right now, you can pick up 5 Smooth Jazz CDs from 5 different artists, and from what you hear, it could be the same rhythm section playing behind any given solo instrument.
And unlike The FUNK BROTHERS from Motown, there is NO Passion.
Smooth Jazz music needs Real People playing Real Instruments, just as it was in the beginning.
Sure, it's less expensive to use machines to create the Bass, Drums, Percussion & Keyboard tracks, and they do sound good.
But the tracks are sterile, and even though the listener may not be able to put their finger on it, after a length of time, it gets old . . .
Thanks for the opportunity to Rant!
Robin James
Scorpio Beach Music
Artist/Producer/Engineer
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easy answer;the music that was played on the air was garbage and didn't reflect what the artist were really about.As soon as the only way to get played was to fallow a format set by one group of consultents and not by the audience in a market musicians started retreading formulas and the music started sounding all alike and got boring. plus the demise of the national club scene meant that if you couldn't get big shows you would never come to new city's to play.
William Howard
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I've been listening for two days, trying to figure out what was going on. I listened to Smooth Jazz every day at work from 8:00 - 4:30 p.m. I cannot stand listening to what is on now. It's not relaxing at all nor does it give the proper ambiance for an office setting. My only concern with Smooth Jazz was that sometimes the music was redundant, instead of being fresh.
With all the jazz talent on the market, old and new, the station sometimes seemed to have lost it's platform of jazz. However, it was a lot better to what is on now. I have regular radio at work. I guess I will have to go on line from now and streamline? Is that what it's called (smile)? As you can see, I am not up with the language. I will forward your email to all my friends. Let us know who we need to address to get jazz back on the radio.
Thanks.
Gail
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Yeah, like HOW MUCH MORE "talk radio"can we stand?!?!??!
Corporate America sucks!
Hang in there Denise!
Best,
Judy
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Smooth Jazz radio is not happening and that is what's wrong. It has not been happening for quite some time...They are calling songs Jazz that have nothing to do with that improvisational style of music. R& B is not Jazz, nor Pop...They were calling everything Jazz...What? No wonder kids are confused...They are just repeating what they hear being fed to them....
Not enough variety in the sounds of the music. All the sax players sound alike...like an assembly line of woodwind 'clones' and the same is true for the keyboard players as well...all adhering to the same 'formula' in order to get airplay....But eventually listeners got tired of the predictability of it all...It took them long enough...
Aziza
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good riddance
Beflat10r
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Hi Denise,
In short I think people that listen to jazz are informed buyers and don't fall for the hype in sales. As a result advertiser are not selling products through radio spots and jazz record companies are not involved in payola to get the record spins.
Since these large corporations look only at the bottom line, they may find it more lucrative the find other formats that appeal to a less informed listener they will buy the latest and greatest thing being sold.
I live in Minneapolis and I suffered the effects of our station shutting down a few years back. The odd thing is that the general public loves the smooth jazz sound. Go figure.
Thanks for letting me express my opinion.
Wenso Ashby
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Why are you surprised that these smooth jazz stations are folding?-you can't keep on feeding the public pre programmed crap and expect they'll always buy into it.For a while yes-But when the corporations see that there isn't huge media dollars in jazz and that it is a passion,they bail on it. I am not surprised
Peace, jason
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I have seen this coming for years. That's why I started WINR Smoothjazz Radio. There are so many good artist out there that don't receive credit for there work. Bob Baldwin, Marcus Johnson, etc...I can go on. Tell the listeners in D.C WINR growing and we will provide air play for new and established artist as well. We have something for every smoothjazz fan. Smoothjazz is too good to let die. Http://www.smoothjazz4u.com
Greg Brown
WINR Program Dir
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I couldn't be more happy! Get rid of all of them.
Drumrolle
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To whom it may concern: If NYC had the same cool jazz station as in Chicago, no wonder it's gone
what an insult to try and fool people into thinking Jazz is what they say it is. R&B is not Jazz easy listening music is not jazz. who ever makes the decisions on what styles of music is what,is considered an insult to music lovers. So I'm not surprized. serious soul.
Matessoul
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Well Denise....I new 8 -10 years ago Smooth Jazz Radio 's demise was at hand because they cut the solo's out the songs so that they could add more commericials.
Chicago's super guitarist Henry Johnson stop recording Smooth Jazz for that reason...the story goes that he
was on tour in Texas and heard
one of his songs being played on the tour van radio and when it came time for the solo it was edited out of the song by the radio's engineers!!!!
He was so upset that he stop writng and recording smooth Jazz.
They would not play some of Orbert Davis' songs on the
95.5 FM Chicago because Orbert told me they told him the solos were too long. WNUA WILL BE NEXT!!!! ALSO BECAUSE THEY WON'T PLAY MIKE ROSS' CD;S ANYMORE THEY FORCED TO GET AN ONLINE SMOOTH JAZZ RADIO BROADCAST....ITS WORKING WELL OR AT LEAST IT WAS.
I SO HAPPY THAT SMOOTH JAZZ NYC IS GONE BECAUSE THIS WILL GET THE POWERS THAT BE IN SMOOTH JAZZ RADIO'S ATTENTION!!!
WHAT DO YOU THINK MADE IT POPULAR IN THE FIRST PLACE??
THE MUSIC...THE SOLOS!!!!!!
PETER CALLAWAY GUITARIST www.petercallaway.com
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
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Denise,
You & I both know & understand the reasoning behind this move. It is sad and it signifies the larger picture of terrestrial radio's demise, playing canned music, lack of creative programming, no real competition with mega conglomerates and a host of other mess that equates to listeners being dumbed down and not getting real quality & truly diverse, creative music within specific genres.
Let's keep in touch and work together to fight this madness. Still haven't heard anything about what you'll be doing next here in Chicago.
Rising To The Top,
Shannon
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Dear Denise..
This is a similar move that WBEZ did last year when they took off all the good music and decided to go all-talk, despite the strong base they had for jazz. I wonder where these stations get their demographics from? Why does WBEZ need four transmitters to play the same talk programming? They forgot about all the jazz people that made them successful.
This New York station is turning to rock and dumping a loyal audience too.
There is a still an audience for good music. I would even like to see a full-time station devoted to all easy listening music in Chicago. There has not been a station like that in years. I play lots of that music too, along with the local artists on my weekly program on WDCB.
The fact is that rock is everywhere...There's 80's, 90's old rock, new rock, classic rock and other nonsense...Jazz is an art form that has a large following and deserves air play. That New York station will probably end up like the dozen or so one-share stations in the Chicago market that cannot think of anything else to program except to younger audiences.
Finally, who is programming to all of the people who are getting older, or those who still like all kinds of good jazz? We still buy cars, have money in banks and buy groceries. The government is concerned that this group is so big that we will soon put social security out of business. We are an audience that wants tunes with melodies and good clean words that can be easily understood. I want to hear the skill and craft it takes to play a standard and improvise on it. More stations that program wailing guitars for yups does not interest me.
John Russell
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Thank you, why don't you initiate a new smooth jazz station there in NYC?
irv briddell
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Hey Denise,
Are you kidding me? This was one of the strongest stations in the east coast market. Now, they're just like, poof, gone? I wonder how many other stations will follow CD 101 down this path. I'm really shocked.
This is a real big blow against smooth jazz. Hmm..... what next?
Take care,
Henry
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The music industry is not supporting. Who is driving the music industry right now? Kids. Hip Hop makes millions and millions of dollars. Who is buying hip hop? Kids. We aren't supporting the music that we love. We failed 101.9 because we didn't tune in and didn't support.
Kemba Cofield
Atlanta GA
I've given up on FM radio 8 years ago! It's all corporate cookie cutter! Make money fast & to hell with ratings!
When they got rid of Smooth Jazz here in Syracuse; I said,"If you can't find anyone to do the job, you have to do it yourself!". That's what I'm doing with my Internet radio station, "Smooth Jazz and More" on Live365. I'm running PSA's on my radio station and reaching out to lost listeners in those markets.
FM radio is dead! Long live Internet radio...as long as the recording industry let's up play the music!
finally!!! discourse on the future of jazz. I was pleased, reading all the post...so when I got to John Ertl, noting his outrage at suggestions made for his Jazz festival, I eagerly copied the names of the artists he suggested. (ryan shaw, alice smith, elisabeth withers, ledisi). Googled and checked them out. JOhn Ertl is the problem. See for yourself
I have to agree with Steven Hashimoto and add some...
I can not answer as to why Smooth Jazz radio stations closed in other cities, but I can tell you about CD 101.9 in NYC.
I've lived in NYC for 18 years and always enjoyed CD 101.9's choice of artists and diversity for about one day. One day was my limit in hearing the same artists repeatedly...over and over. Same songs, same artists...great tunes!...but the same handfull of musicians! It was then that I realized that there really WASN'T much diversity. The playlists became stale. I enjoyed the sounds Rhythms and "flow" what Anita Baker, Nelson Rangel, Kenny G, The Rippingtons, Dave Koz, David Sanborn, Down to the Bone, Grover Washington Jr., Randy Crawford, Maysa, etc were kicking out, but there is a whole WORLD of other musicians who are FANTASTIC and NEED to be heard by the general public but can't get any airtime!
I have very intimate venue where we host top-notch professional musicians/vocalist who have played with all the headliners. These artists are FANTASTIC!...and worth giving an opportunity to be heard. We have a jazz concert in my home once a month and open it up to the general public to hear these artist. We have a packed house! The guest span all ages and ethnic backgrounds. They're there because they LOVE the music! We're just one venue in NYC and get 40 - 60 people jammed in the house to hear the music.
Who and what defines "smooth Jazz" and it's boundaries? Who sits at home (or anywhere for that matter) and listens to the same music over and over for months on end without becoming anesthetized to what is being played?
Come ON! How can they wonder why the public's interest has wained when we've been bored to death with repetition? If a station wants to be a "trail-blazer", then do something unheard of...host a station that loosens the "smooth Jazz" format a bit further beyond those certain beats/min, keys, track length formats and give exposure to those professionals in the field that are out in those local clubs strugging to be heard, struggling to develop that "required following" the hiring clubs want them all to have, and, God forbid, expose US, the general public with jobs, steady incomes, a more sophisticated and less transient taste in QUALITY, expose US to these artists. Market to those of us who's regular listening taste level is a few steps up from the Pussycat Dolls, Brittany Spears & Justin Timberlake.
I agree with stevenhasimoto. This has been a weak format. True, there have been some good players in the genre. When it came time to play live a lot of these players really let loose. They had to make some kind of money, but the format shut a lot of other really good players out. I knew it was going to be fad when it started. Maybe now we'll get back to some of the earlier Quiet Storm or MOR programming. I don't expect music to be so complex as to leave the fun behind. People can't only eat so much mediocrity and the programmers don't trust people enough to make intelligent choices. All the song hook sounded the same. People need to be educated in a musical way that still retains the fun vibe so we can raise the bar higher on music consciousness. Smooth Jazz wasn't really jazz at all. It was a lifestyle- complete with wine and cheese and basically non-threatening musical sounds, compatible with the good California weather. XM Watercolors has more variety of good music than on Smooth Jazz stations. There are some stations that are not a part of Broadcast Architecture that come close to the old formats. There were even some creative artists out there that somehow got labeled Smooth Jazz. If all food tasted like cardboard, we wouldn't eat it. Same with Smooth Jazz. If you were always playing creatively you have nothing to worry about. It's those who succumbed to mediocrity who now have to face the music.
D. Lavigne, Houston
I agree with stevenhasimoto. This has been a weak format. True, there have been some good players in the genre. When it came time to play live a lot of these players really let loose. They had to make some kind of money, but the format shut a lot of other really good players out. I knew it was going to be fad when it started. Maybe now we'll get back to some of the earlier Quiet Storm or MOR programming. I don't expect music to be so complex as to leave the fun behind. People can't only eat so much mediocrity and the programmers don't trust people enough to make intelligent choices. All the song hook sounded the same. People need to be educated in a musical way that still retains the fun vibe so we can raise the bar higher on music consciousness. Smooth Jazz wasn't really jazz at all. It was a lifestyle- complete with wine and cheese and basically non-threatening musical sounds, compatible with the good California weather. XM Watercolors has more variety of good music than on Smooth Jazz stations. There are some stations that are not a part of Broadcast Architecture that come close to the old formats. There were even some creative artists out there that somehow got labeled Smooth Jazz. If all food tasted like cardboard, we wouldn't eat it. Same with Smooth Jazz. If you were always playing creatively you have nothing to worry about. It's those who succumbed to mediocrity who now have to face the music.
D. Lavigne, Houston
Good morning Ms. Jordan-Walker. Sorry to hear that a style of music you enjoy is not getting played as much as before. I have had many feelings over the years regarding "music" versus "music business" and have begun to accept certain ways of the world :) Well, I hope you can find what you like to hear online or on satellite radio maybe? Have a very happy weekend. ~Adam
I have nothing against the music played on so called smooth formats, be it the instrumentals nor the RnB or Pop vocals, I have nothing against those that listen to the less than creative and repetitive music, however I do have strong opposition of the marketing of the music and the exclusion of the creators of fusion jazz, the true and actual roots of this format.
The music played on smooth is NOT jazz, it is intrumental RnB music, it has none of the essential elements of what constitutes jazz of any era.
Some of the music heard on smooth outlets have been in rotation for over 10 years. Imagine a smoke filled room with accountants and attorneys dictating what style of music can be played on smooth, the artist and their creativity is not of any importance as long as they adhere to the guidelines these non-music, coporate moguls established. No wonder the audience has declined drasctically over the past few years, it has all been heard before. As soon as the profits diminished, out goes the music and a new product must be found to increase revenues-that's tells you what the purveyors of smooth really think about you and the music they offer.
For those wondering what am I going to listen to now? well, most likely the oldies format in your market as that is the biggest audience share format with smooth. For those wanted to hear real jazz, traditional, mainstream and swing along side the true music revolutionaries, those under 40 who "dare" to play creative, improvised jazz with contemporary sensibilites, where the artform rules over money, try listening to your area's jazz station if you're fortunate to live in one of the 9 cities with a full time jazz station or those hundred or so other outlets around the nation that play jazz part time. After all it is the US' patrimony, the USA's cultural gift to the world, an African American artform, a gumbo made up of Afro-Caribbean, Afro-American and some European ingredients coming together in the Caribbean port of entry for the US-New Orleans
Jonathan Jose Jackson III
Pasadena, CA
I think Tony Clark said it all. For years Smooth Jazz has been catering to the same artists over an over again, not allowing new artist and fresh music to break through. Even established artist like Stanley Clark or,Chic Corea who wouldn't bend to the smooth jazz format was shut out! Not to mention Smooth Jazz sations came very close to being R&B stations. If I am trying to hear R&B, I will listen to an R&B or, old school station. Jazz has always been known to be innovative and improvisational. Smooth Jazz became very predictable. As a friend of mine said: "you can set your watch to smooth jazz by the same artists they play at the same time every day". Absolutely! I guess the corporate companies that took over the radio stations thought that people were boring and wanted to hear the same thing over and over again. This is why internet and HD radio stations are becoming more and more popular because they provide variety. So, in conclusion, music (especially jazz) is supposed to be expressive and take you on a personal journey, Smooth Jazz was taking you on the same journey over and over again.
Gayelynn Mckinney
www.myspace.com/gayelynnmckinney
Commercial Smooth Jazz radio stations are dying because (sadly) the same commercial consulting firms that have HOMOGENIZED and STERILIZED the playlists of every OTHER radio format have finally been allowed to wreak their havoc on Smooth Jazz.
Once the station starts losing listeners because of the hopelessly BORING and endless repetition of the same dozen or so artists, the audience finds the new music they crave somewhere else - generally on Internet Streaming radio stations (like www.SKY.FM Smooth Jazz) that have playlists that include MANY new artists and new songs.
What's killing Smooth Jazz? Simple - the consultants have made it virtually IMPOSSIBLE for new artists to be exposed to the consuming public because new artists mostly CANNOT AFFORD to pay the thousands of dollars required to get their tracks added to radio on Top Tier Smooth Jazz stations.
But this is nothing new, this "pay for play" malady has infected EVERY radio format since the days of Top 40 AM and original FM rock programming.
Check out Jimi King's programming on SKY.FM Smooth Jazz channels to find great stuff, available 24/7 on the 'net.
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