Jazz Articles

Keith Newton: Feelin' Groovy

by Woodrow Wilkins
July 5, 2005

As a genre, smooth jazz often gets a bad rap. Sometimes that's deserved: much of what gets played on radio or promoted heavily elsewhere is more about the business than the artistry of music. Creativity takes a back seat to the idea that one has to fit into the mold. Once in a while an artist comes along who delivers music that's textbook smooth--and it may even include such gimmicks as catchy beats and programmed rhythm tracks--yet it still sounds ...