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Description of Pop-Jazz

 
The styles of Pop-Jazz are quite varied, but the edges are always brushed clean. The sound is soft, smooth and radio-ready. Pop-Jazz artists take the popular sounds from their period and infuse them with jazz styling and instrumentation, from Herb Alpert's Swing-come-Cocktail brass ensembles to saxophonist Kenny G.'s Adult Contemporary-derived bedroom instrumentals. Many styles of Pop-Jazz approach popular music from a jazz direction. Saxophonist Stanley Turrentine irons the rough edges from Hard Bop melodies, and guitarist Pat Metheny incorporates elements of rock and Latin Jazz. Other artists, such as the British pop group Black and the sultry singer Sade, take as much influence from the Jazz-Rock fusion of groups such as Steely Dan as they do from the classic traditions of American Vocal Pop. Pop-Jazz's claim to fame is its ability to make the often-obscure genre of jazz into a mass- marketable commodity, always selling more units than the rest of jazz combined.
 

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Pop-Jazz Key Artists

 
Bob James

This fine acoustic Bop
pianist found fame with
keyboard Fusion work and
his theme to TV's Taxi. Over
the years James has been...

Dave Grusin

This pianist has done it all:
straight jazz, electric
Fusion, Academy
Award-winning
soundtracks, and more. G...

Dave Samuels

This vibes player excells at
smooth sounds with Spyro
Gyra and at sultry Latin Jazz
and Post Bop on his own
recordings. Samuels is on...

David Sanborn

This architect of
R&B-drenched Smooth Jazz
saxophone has been a
blow-dried star since the
1970s. Sanborn has inspir...

Fourplay

Keyboardist Bob James
leads this premier smooth
jazz supergroup. When Lee
Ritenour left the group,
Larry Carlton took the gui...

George Benson

From Soul Jazz guitar
innovator to Crossover Jazz
star to Smooth Jazz elder
statesman, George Benson
has done it all. Benson's e...

Grover Washington, Jr.

This pioneering Smooth
Jazz saxophonist was also a
dedicated and talented
Hard Bopper who always
gave back to the commun...

Harry Connick, Jr.

Jazz pianist, keeper of the
New Orleans R&B flame,
Sinatra-esque crooner, and
succesful movie actor. Ellis
Marsalis, patriarch of the j...

Hubert Laws

This versatile flutist has real
Hard Bop chops, but he
made his name in Crossover
Jazz and smoother jazz
styles. Famed jazz and so...

Joe Sample

One of jazz's most
accessible pianists, this
soulful Hard Bopper led the
Jazz Crusaders before going
solo. Sample's tasty ivory...

Lee Ritenour

An architect of Fusion and
Smooth Jazz, this guitarist
brings his own melodic
ideas to the Wes
Montgomery style.

Michael Franks

Franks' friendly, witty
jazz-etched pop songs are
engaging as his early hit,
"Popsicle Toes," attests.
Franks grew up in the gre...

Pat Metheny

While his Fusion guitar
playing has been much
copied, Metheny is just as
amazing playing mainstream
jazz and folk.

The Crusaders

Led by pianist Joe Sample
and saxophonist Wilton
Felder, the Crusaders have
thrived for over four
decades. They were call...

The Manhattan Transfer

The world's most popular
jazz-leaning modern vocal
group has enjoyed both
pop hits and rave reviews
for three decades.

The Yellowjackets

This Smooth Jazz group has
kept a large audience while
sometimes veering into
adventurous waters.

Tuck & Patti

A world-renowned soft
jazz/new folk duo, Tuck &
Patti's heartfelt love songs
have been blessing
speakers since 1988. With...

Electronics

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