"Christian" Smooth Jazz

[Radiogeek500]

I had always wondered if such a genre existed(or sub genere) and apparently it does, as I found a program on a primarly Asian Brokered programming outlet(although it does air other stuff) here in Orange County CA that airs such music. The station is KALI 106.3 and it airs from 4-5am on Sunday Mornings. The odd thing is 106.3 itself was once a CCM station with the calls KYMS, so it's kinda revisiting it's "christian" past if only for a hour.

So my question is, what artists are doing "christian" smooth Jazz?<P ID="signature">______________
20 Years of POWERFUL music
Power 106 La's Party Station.

JOSH, Moderating the whole Radio-Info radio state of California and Indiana too!</P>

 

[radioelizabeth]

Interesting... that was our April Fool this past Spring when I was with CHRSN. We told listeners we were switching formats to Christian Jazz and played some music from a production bed cd. Feedback was fun.


e<P ID="signature">______________
RADIOELIZABETH
Pleasant, Passionate, Persuasive
www.radioelizabeth.com</P>

 

[kilowatt]

Ugh! John Tesh?



> Interesting... that was our April Fool this past Spring when
> I was with CHRSN. We told listeners we were switching
> formats to Christian Jazz and played some music from a
> production bed cd. Feedback was fun.
>
>
> e
>

 

[Retro]

> Interesting... that was our April Fool this past Spring when
> I was with CHRSN. We told listeners we were switching
> formats to Christian Jazz and played some music from a
> production bed cd. Feedback was fun.
>
>
> e
>

First Call's earlier Myrrh stuff would fit in beautifully.

 

[Matt]

> So my question is, what artists are doing "christian" smooth
> Jazz?

I don't believe any of the current Christian music labels are doing any jazz or the like...not enough profit in it for their needs.

In the late 80's/early 90's Maranatha! music put out a set of albums called "Colours" which were largely instrumental and jazz-oriented. Artists included Justo Almaro, Abraham Laboriel and (I think) Phil Keaggy, among others.

Phil Keaggy also had an earlier album of instrumental work, "The Master and the Musician" which had a lot of stuff that would work in such a format.

I'm sure there are Smooth Jazz artists who are Christians, but they seldom, if ever, put out product with a Christian theme to it.

One distinct difference between Christian music and its secular counterparts is the dependence on lyrical content. For the body of Christ to recognize a particular musical work as Christian, it either must have lyrics with a Christ-directing meaning, or the melody must be so overtly foreground that one is drawn to a Christ-directing lyric.

Smooth Jazz requires no such dependence on lyrical content to be considered Smooth Jazz. Therefore, Christian artists might play Smooth Jazz, or Classical, or Beautiful Music (if such were still being recorded), and their musical artistry never be recognized as Christian.

Such is the enigma of the term "Christian" in the artistic marketplace.

Later....
Moderator Matt

 

[MightyFrenchman]

> I had always wondered if such a genre existed(or sub genere)
> and apparently it does, as I found a program on a primarly
> Asian Brokered programming outlet(although it does air other
> stuff) here in Orange County CA that airs such music. The
> station is KALI 106.3 and it airs from 4-5am on Sunday
> Mornings. The odd thing is 106.3 itself was once a CCM
> station with the calls KYMS, so it's kinda revisiting it's
> "christian" past if only for a hour.
>
> So my question is, what artists are doing "christian" smooth
> Jazz?
>
There were a number of Christian artists who released albums that were primarily jazz back in the '70s & '80s. Among them were James Vincent, who released an album on CBS's Christian label, Priority Records. It was a fantastic album. He used to be a studio musician with Chicago, too. Another great jazz-oriented Christian group was Koinonia. Another artist had the last name Thomas, but I can't remember his first name...BB Winans did a vocal on one of Thomas' albums. There was another artist back in the late '70s and early '80s who released 2 or 3 jazz flute albums...He was either on Greentree or Impact records.

 

[brian_stevens]

> Another artist had the last name Thomas, but I can't

> remember his first name

Wasn't it Keith Thomas? "Kaleidoscope" was the CD. He's still around and has produced everyone from Carman to Jessica Simpson.

 

[Newshawk]

> There was another artist back in the late
> '70s and early '80s who released 2 or 3 jazz flute
> albums...He was either on Greentree or Impact records.
>
That was Fletch Wiley... His "Ballade" and "Nightwatch" albums were two of my favorite during the '80s. <P ID="signature">______________
"Radio is like musical chairs. When the music stops, I sit down and say something."</P>

 

[The RadioFan]

I hear a lot of "Christian" Smooth Jazz music on ABC's "Rejoice" Gospel network from artists like Kirk Whalum, Allen & Allen and Ben Tankard. Although there are a few "Rejoice" stations on the FM band, most of these station are found on the AM band. For example, WLOU-AM 1350 in Louisville, Kentucky carries the ABC "Rejoice" network quite often, especially in the afternoon and overnight hours. The network usually airs an average of two "Christian" smooth jazz songs per hour.

 

[MightyFrenchman]

> > Another artist had the last name Thomas, but I can't
>
> > remember his first name
>
> Wasn't it Keith Thomas? "Kaleidoscope" was the CD. He's
> still around and has produced everyone from Carman to
> Jessica Simpson.
>
That's it! Keith Thomas. You're right, he's primarily a producer but that one jazz-oriented album he did was great.

Another artist who did music with a jazz flavor, primarily in the '70s & '80s, was Paul Clark. His album entitled "Change In The Wind" was especially jazz oriented and was fantastic.

 

[brian_stevens]

> That's it! Keith Thomas. You're right, he's primarily a
> producer but that one jazz-oriented album he did was great.

Just pulled the Thomas CD out. From 1986 on the Dayspring label with one of those paper jewel cases that Word used briefly. I still remember buying it on the recommendation of Milton at Light and Life. The BeBe song is okay - the synths sound dated. But it's the Donna McElroy track "Home Away from Home" that really smokes. We used that track on one of the first "Single Road" shows I did. Thanks for bringing that one to mind "Frenchman."

 

[neutral_observer]

> I'm sure there are Smooth Jazz artists who are Christians....


Others have mentioned Kirk Whalum and John Tesh....I'll throw in Willow Creek's band's "Preludes" CD, and it seems like I've seen something else, too....

 

[Passafist]

> I hear a lot of "Christian" Smooth Jazz music on ABC's
> "Rejoice" Gospel network from artists like Kirk Whalum,
> Allen & Allen and Ben Tankard. Although there are a few
> "Rejoice" stations on the FM band, most of these station are
> found on the AM band. For example, WLOU-AM 1350 in
> Louisville, Kentucky carries the ABC "Rejoice" network quite
> often, especially in the afternoon and overnight hours. The
> network usually airs an average of two "Christian" smooth
> jazz songs per hour.
>


Let us not forget Chiz Ryder whose trumpet stylings were served to youth all over the country at the end of the "Golden Age" of CCM. Couldn't get more Jazzier.