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Smooth jazz is a genre of commercially oriented crossover jazz that became dominant in the s and early s. Smooth jazz is a commercially oriented, crossover jazz which came to prominence in the s, displacing the more venturesome jazz fusion from which it emerged. It avoids the improvisational "risk-taking" of jazz fusion, emphasizing melodic form. The genre arose in the mids in the United States as "smooth radio", and was not termed "smooth jazz" until the s. The smooth jazz genre experienced a backlash exemplified by critical complaints about as the "bland" sound of top-selling saxophonist Kenny G , whose popularity peaked with his album Breathless.
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Though smooth jazz has some fierce and vociferous detractors, during the peak of its popularity — between the late 80s and early 00s — it attracted a huge audience in America, where it became a highly influential radio format and helped the aforementioned artists sell truckloads of albums…. For those wondering where smooth jazz came from, its roots can be traced back to the early 60s. Though some criticised him for it, Montgomery broadened his audience and increased his sales figures. Another guitarist with virtuosic jazz chops, George Benson , joined Taylor at CTI in the late 60s and also became a leading exponent of jazz that reworked then current pop material. As the 60s gave way to the 70s, Miles Davis plugged into the mains socket and ushered in the age of jazz-rock and fusion. James was just one of a multitude of super-talented instrumentalists with a unique sound that enjoyed crossover success in the 70s with a style of music that was the precursor to what is now called smooth jazz.
