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CD 101.9 phasing out Chill?

S

smoothjazz

Looks that way. They're running liners now that mention Smooth Jazz (first time since the change to add Chill), and listening/checking out their online playlist shows except for some currents/crossover Chill stuff, the rest of their Chill music is no longer in rotation. If this is the case, it's a shame. Their blend of Chill was really starting to grow on me, moreso than a lot of the new Smooth Jazz that comes out now. It was really something unique, which of course means, it didn't last. The Smooth Jazz they're playing now is solid, with a nice mix of instrumentals (Alex Bugnon's "Okra" comes to mind), but I've heard "Just My Imagination" by the Temptations too. Too bad. <P ID="signature">______________
Nick Langan
WNJL.com Radio
</P>
 
Just an addendum, this confirms they've scrapped Chill: They've lifted the Kenny G ban. Playing "Havana" right now. Personally, I thought that was ridiculous in the first place. <P ID="signature">______________
Nick Langan
<a href="http://www.wnjl.com">WNJL.com Radio</a>
</P>
 
> Just an addendum, this confirms they've scrapped Chill:
> They've lifted the Kenny G ban. Playing "Havana" right now.
> Personally, I thought that was ridiculous in the first
> place.

They really had a "ban" on Kenny G? Did they publicly announce that? I think the chill concept may have worked 15 years ago back when smooth jazz was more closely connected with new age music. These days smooth jazz is more like "Urban AC-lite" and that's what the audience has come to expect.

I know that "chill" was an attempt to lower the demos, but it didn't work.. so now what? I hope smooth jazz doesn't meet the same fate as oldies stations, but what's going to lower the demos?
 
> > Just an addendum, this confirms they've scrapped Chill:
> > They've lifted the Kenny G ban. Playing "Havana" right
> now.
> > Personally, I thought that was ridiculous in the first
> > place.
>
> They really had a "ban" on Kenny G? Did they publicly
> announce that? I think the chill concept may have worked 15
> years ago back when smooth jazz was more closely connected
> with new age music. These days smooth jazz is more like
> "Urban AC-lite" and that's what the audience has come to
> expect.
>
> I know that "chill" was an attempt to lower the demos, but
> it didn't work.. so now what? I hope smooth jazz doesn't
> meet the same fate as oldies stations, but what's going to
> lower the demos?
>

Yup, their PD Blake Lawrence mentioned it in a couple interviews, with relation to the "evolution of Smooth Jazz." Lasted all of 9 months, as 3 different Kenny G songs have played today. It made no sense to me because, if you're going to try to keep your Smooth Jazz audience and play Boney James, Dave Koz, Richard Elliot, etc., why are you depriving them of arguably the biggest Smooth Jazz artist of all (although I'd argue Koz right now)?

I don't think Chill may be completely done, as it sounds like Chris Botti's syndicated Chill show is doing extremely well in several of the markets it's on. Maybe it just needs to be sprinkled in over time. WNUA and KIFM are a couple stations that seem to be doing that. <P ID="signature">______________
Nick Langan
WNJL.com Radio
</P>
 
Here we go with the crossover vocals...

I was afraid this was what was going to happen. Looking at CD 101.9's playlist for today, it appears an onslaught of Adult Contemporary crossover stuff has been added, including several that I don't think any other Smooth Jazz stations play. Keep in mind, all of these are new as of today:

Stevie Wonder - Boggie On Reggae Woman (WJJZ plays this)

Ace - How Long (Several Smooth Jazz stations play this)

Steely Dan - Black Cow (Don't mind this choice, but again, new to CD 101)

Gladys Knight & The Pips - You're The Best Thing That's Ever Happened To Me (I don't know of another SJ that plays this)

Mariah Carey - We Belong Together (Shocked to see this added. WNUA and WSMJ have been playing it, but just a week after playing Chill music, they're playing a song that was #1 at Urban and CHR? LOL)

The Stylistics - Betcha By Golly Wow (I think they played this when they were in their heavy WLTW-attack mode a couple years ago, no other SJ's do that I know of)

Steve Winwood - Higher Love (Other Smooth Jazz stations play it, I despise it)

Has any other station gone through more format tweaks than CD 101.9? LOL, in like the past 5 years they've gone from their own blend of Smooth Jazz, to adding a lot of crossover vocals to try to compete with WLTW, then dropping a lot of the crossover vocals and proclaiming they had the world's "largest Smooth Jazz library", then New York Chill, and now this. I still like a lot of the instrumentals they are playing, and there seems to be a good instrumental to vocal ratio, but can they just make up their minds?<P ID="signature">______________
Nick Langan
WNJL.com Radio
</P>
 
Re: Here we go with the crossover vocals...

> Steely Dan - Black Cow (Don't mind this choice, but again,
> new to CD 101)


CD 101 has been playing this song since last November.
 
the chill is gone

Although they continue to bill themselves as NY. chill they seem to have taken away all the chill music. WQCD was trying to do something different/electic and very New York. My take on why it didn't work was because they tried to appease too many types of listeners to those who like urban ac to smooth jazz to trendy types that would listen to chill over drinks.
Basically most people wouldn't like both Stevie Wonder followed by Brazilian Girls. The genres don't mix well and appeal to different demographics.
Seems like QCD is now going in the direction of WNUA, Chicago and while I think it may work, I'm sorry to see yet another creative radio station bite the dust.
RIP CHILL! Summer 2005
 
> Probably just a little ahead of their time? Kind of like the dot.com boom of 1999 before everyone had high speed access. The almighty dollar is speaking, to bad they can't stick it out. Go to the mall and every clothing store is playing chill. I have folks loving it here in Nashville, then again I do a show on a non comm so I don't have a suit to answer to. Would streaming have helped the cause?

Nock
 
> > Probably just a little ahead of their time? Kind of like
> the dot.com boom of 1999 before everyone had high speed
> access. The almighty dollar is speaking, to bad they can't
> stick it out. Go to the mall and every clothing store is
> playing chill. I have folks loving it here in Nashville,
> then again I do a show on a non comm so I don't have a suit
> to answer to. Would streaming have helped the cause?
>
> Nock
>
100% chill music would have helped the cause. wqcd mixed chill with stevie wonder and kenny g or any other artist they felt fit in to what they called smooth jazz. the fact is that they were trying to appeal to a younger demographic with their chill music but failed by playing too many genres that didn't appeal to younger demographics.
chill music is tremendously popular in nyc. the fact that it failed is due to poor programming.
 
Re: Here we go with the crossover vocals...

> > Steely Dan - Black Cow (Don't mind this choice, but again,
>
> > new to CD 101)
>
>
> CD 101 has been playing this song since last November.
>

WNVW in Cleveland, and many NAC stations play many of the AC/oldie songs mentioned in the previous posts. I miss the NAC-type vocals too...but, stations needing ratings go for the familiar pop/soft CHR/AC tunes instead for maximum mass-audience familiarity.

If the Jack-FM formats do well over most of the country...that could....could indicate the general public is finally ready for more real variety in their radio choices...and that could spill to NAC/SJ and other formats. So, with any luck, these short playlisted, overly boring and repetitive formats could be changing.

But...in these hectic times...a time when virtually everybody seems to have "time famine"....it's going to take a really strong lifestyle/popculture change in order to put wide-spread variety back into radio formats. I'd love it...but, I'm (and those of us on these radio fan boards) not a typical radio listener.
 
Re: Here we go with the crossover vocals...

> > > Steely Dan - Black Cow (Don't mind this choice, but
> again,
> >

I got so tired of hearing NAC vocals that I gave up and got XM. Watercolors plays Michael Franks, Patti Austin, Jarreau, all the right vocals. Steely Dan is my favorite band, but I don't here them mixed in with Koz or Culbertson and for me that's the way it should be. Now I avoid FM Smooth Jazz radio. It's their fault for losing me.
 
Re: Here we go with the crossover vocals...

> > > > Steely Dan - Black Cow (Don't mind this choice, but
> > again,
> > >
>
> I got so tired of hearing NAC vocals that I gave up and got
> XM. Watercolors plays Michael Franks, Patti Austin,
> Jarreau, all the right vocals. Steely Dan is my favorite
> band, but I don't here them mixed in with Koz or Culbertson
> and for me that's the way it should be. Now I avoid FM
> Smooth Jazz radio. It's their fault for losing me.
>
Yep, was listening to Love 94 out of Miami on the net. Spent the first 7 years of that stations existence listening to it in South Florida. Listened yesterday for the first time in ages. Ugggggghhhhhhhh, exactly what you said. BORING! This used to be an incredible station. Thanks Clear Channel!

Nock
 
R&R reported that WQCD was 30% "chill" before offically dropping that music and going back to all SJ (if you consider Motown to be SJ!). Was the percentage wrong? Maybe more would have worked? Less? Any thoughts?

> Looks that way. They're running liners now that mention
> Smooth Jazz (first time since the change to add Chill), and
> listening/checking out their online playlist shows except
> for some currents/crossover Chill stuff, the rest of their
> Chill music is no longer in rotation. If this is the case,
> it's a shame. Their blend of Chill was really starting to
> grow on me, moreso than a lot of the new Smooth Jazz that
> comes out now. It was really something unique, which of
> course means, it didn't last. The Smooth Jazz they're
> playing now is solid, with a nice mix of instrumentals (Alex
> Bugnon's "Okra" comes to mind), but I've heard "Just My
> Imagination" by the Temptations too. Too bad.
>
 
> > Probably just a little ahead of their time? Kind of like
> the dot.com boom of 1999 before everyone had high speed
> access. The almighty dollar is speaking, to bad they can't
> stick it out. Go to the mall and every clothing store is
> playing chill. I have folks loving it here in Nashville,
> then again I do a show on a non comm so I don't have a suit
> to answer to. Would streaming have helped the cause?
>
> Nock
>

Nock:

How do we listen to you in Nashville?
 
Re: Here we go with the crossover vocals...

> I was afraid this was what was going to happen. Looking at
> CD 101.9's playlist for today, it appears an onslaught of
> Adult Contemporary crossover stuff has been added, including
> several that I don't think any other Smooth Jazz stations
> play. Keep in mind, all of these are new as of today:
>
> Stevie Wonder - Boggie On Reggae Woman (WJJZ plays this)
>
> Ace - How Long (Several Smooth Jazz stations play this)
>
> Steely Dan - Black Cow (Don't mind this choice, but again,
> new to CD 101)
>
> Gladys Knight & The Pips - You're The Best Thing That's Ever
> Happened To Me (I don't know of another SJ that plays this)
>
> Mariah Carey - We Belong Together (Shocked to see this
> added. WNUA and WSMJ have been playing it, but just a week
> after playing Chill music, they're playing a song that was
> #1 at Urban and CHR? LOL)
>
> The Stylistics - Betcha By Golly Wow (I think they played
> this when they were in their heavy WLTW-attack mode a couple
> years ago, no other SJ's do that I know of)
>
> Steve Winwood - Higher Love (Other Smooth Jazz stations play
> it, I despise it)
>
> Has any other station gone through more format tweaks than
> CD 101.9? LOL, in like the past 5 years they've gone from
> their own blend of Smooth Jazz, to adding a lot of crossover
> vocals to try to compete with WLTW, then dropping a lot of
> the crossover vocals and proclaiming they had the world's
> "largest Smooth Jazz library", then New York Chill, and now
> this. I still like a lot of the instrumentals they are
> playing, and there seems to be a good instrumental to vocal
> ratio, but can they just make up their minds?
>

Good grief, what'll they play next? Afternoon Delight? This is
very bad.
 
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