Can Smooth Jazz be fun?

Let's talk....
There seems to be a attack on Smooth Jazz - and a standard being set for it that I don't think it was ever meant to reach.
First we must remember that this 'genre' of music wasn't created by musicians at all, it was a format created by radio stations to classify a type of music that ranged from light jazz to R&B to soft rock and instrumental soul. A wide variety indeed! In other words it was kind of a catch-all for music that didn't fit neatly into their other radio format labels.

Somehow though, people seem to take the "jazz" part of this thing way too seriously. Jazz speaks to improvisation and creative composition. It speaks to an artist striving to tell his or her musical story while pushing the technical, harmonal, rhythmical, and tonal envelope to the limit.

To me, Smooth Jazz is a lot like a pick-up game of baseball vs. a major league game. Though major league players may play in both, no one really expects the pick-up game to be World Series quality. The Smooth Jazz format - unknowingly for sure - has opened up an arena for the musician who just wants to have some fun!

The reason I chose this picture (above right) as the cover for my CD Authentic was really a reflection of my feelings about Smooth Jazz. Just some kids having fun with an innocent object. Not trying to right all the musical wrongs in the universe, just back to basics, what drove most of to play in the first place - our love for the fun and joy music can bring.

This morning's song - "What You Won't Do For Love" by Bobby Caldwell, from the 1978 CD with the same name as the song. This song is a staple on many Smooth Jazz stations and is a great example of the spirit of Smooth Jazz - a less than heavy-weight piece of music that still has the power on some level to move you.
You know the drill - java, slippers, and that comfortable spot....

We'll talk....