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Smooth Jazz demise continues?

1

1069_KIFR

Partial article from All Access.com... LA's CBS owned KTWV Smooth Jazz "The Wave", I believe is the one that started the entire Smmoth Jazz craze.

Musical Changes At KTWV
Looks like some new flavor, textures, and titles are in the mix at CBS Smooth AC KTWV (94.7 THE WAVE)/LOS ANGELES as of this weekend.
All references to the words "Smooth Jazz" on-air and on the site, 947thewave.com, are gone. Looks like many of the instrumental currents are gone and the mix, which was 50/50 vocal/instrumentals is now more like 67% vocals and 33% instrumentals.
 
Even the Weather Channel has replaced their smooth jazz intrumentals with The Allman Bros, Clapton, and Edgar Winter's "Frankenstein". LOL!
 
It did not help the LA situation that the market manager that came in was the one in SF that took away TV advertising and trip a day from KKSF, and not long after that the PD left...for LA, where he has been running the Wave. Now, that same market manager in recent months has been the boss of the PD who just left the Wave, and now the changes are made. Suppose there's a connection here?
 
My impression is that the format's dying. It's been on life-support for a long time now. The past few years, KKSF was basically a 'lite' version of KBLX - at least during the day - and relied heavily on classic soul ("old school") vocals. The fact that KBLX got higher ratings should tell you something.

I haven't heard The Wave, but I understand (from reading the LA board) that Jhani Kaye is PD now. Perhaps he can do what he did for KRTH, and get some additional life out of it by going to a hybrid version of Smooth Jazz...without calling it that, of course. I think you can throw that category name into the same dust-bin with "oldies."


BTW - if you have an HD radio, you can still hear your "yuppie wallpaper" at KISQ 98.1 HD2. They run a stream called "The Smoothest Place on the Planet." Last time I listened, they actually had interesting cut-ins about the artists, and some voice-tracked announcing. All in all, a better product than KKSF had become. I think it's related to this online stream:

http://yoursmoothjazz.net/
 
No argument that the format is in a bad way. You just helped make the point. The last little while, KKSF tried to BE KBLX, and couldn't do it. It would have been interesting to see what might have happened if they had continued playing the NAC or smooth jazz instrumentals, instead of moving towards the classic soul oldies. It's hard to argue with the fact that it really hurt them when trip-a-day anyplace was taken away, along with the TV and most of the billboards.

Another factor that is hurting this format is the general economy. They were always a niche sell, which agencies loved for the intangible classy association, events, etc, but to retail advertisers, that's a big so what? They are much more hard nosed and want concrete results...like people walking into their shops and buying their products (just using the example of a retailer for simplicity here.)
 
I remember back in the 1990's KKSF did Sunday Morning New Age music with cuts from Enya and some meditation music.
Also KKSF did Sunday Night Classic Jazz with Dick Conti back in the 1990's
 
Smooth jazz in Las Vegas, KOAS - the Oasis, also disappeared January 1st....now R&B from 60's and 70's mostly...much of which kinda falls under the "smooth jazz" sound...Like how the Eagles sound more country than anything that is considered country now.
 
Don't forget the second NAC in the nation, the now defunct KLRS 1987-1990 in Santa Cruz. I was there for the ride.
 
Sacramento's KSSJ-94.7 is still going strong.
 
mailman ron said:
Smooth jazz in Las Vegas, KOAS - the Oasis, also disappeared January 1st....now R&B from 60's and 70's mostly...much of which kinda falls under the "smooth jazz" sound...Like how the Eagles sound more country than anything that is considered country now.
Click to expand...

Classic Soul (R&B) hits are only "jazz" in the minds of radio programmers, and we've been programmed to accept it by radio sweepers and liners. It was a way they could add vocals and recognizable hit music to the mostly instrumental non-hit format to gain wider acceptance.

Granted, there are some similarities in the sound, just as Steely Dan's music has some jazz influence. I recently downloaded some Steely Dan songs, and I've noticed that i-tunes labels some of them as "jazz," and some "rock." Sometimes it's a judgment call.

As for the Eagles, it seems to me their music was considered country-rock when it was new. Whether the Eagles got air-play on country stations I don't know. In the 60s and 70s, Top 40 stations played a lot of country hits, but you'd rarely hear pop hits on country stations, even when they arguably had some country influence.

The first time I heard It's All Over Now by the Rolling Stones, I thought it sounded like a country song, and a few country artists, like Waylon Jennings, have covered it over the years. Interestingly, the song was written by Bobby Womack, an R&B artist.

I guess that's why they invented the term "crossover hit."
 
SFStatic said:
No argument that the format is in a bad way. You just helped make the point. The last little while, KKSF tried to BE KBLX, and couldn't do it. It would have been interesting to see what might have happened if they had continued playing the NAC or smooth jazz instrumentals, instead of moving towards the classic soul oldies. It's hard to argue with the fact that it really hurt them when trip-a-day anyplace was taken away, along with the TV and most of the billboards.

Another factor that is hurting this format is the general economy. They were always a niche sell, which agencies loved for the intangible classy association, events, etc, but to retail advertisers, that's a big so what? They are much more hard nosed and want concrete results...like people walking into their shops and buying their products (just using the example of a retailer for simplicity here.)
Click to expand...


Well niche format live on the web let AM and FM radio owners fight over who gets the next contraversial political shock talk show host in the future.
 
Lkeller said:
As for the Eagles, it seems to me their music was considered country-rock when it was new. Whether the Eagles got air-play on country stations I don't know. In the 60s and 70s, Top 40 stations played a lot of country hits, but you'd rarely hear pop hits on country stations, even when they arguably had some country influence.
Click to expand...


"Lyin' Eyes" by the Eagles did play on country stations back when it was at the top of the top 40 charts and I believe "Tequilla Sunrise" and "Peaceful Easy feeling" played as well. Others that were considered Pop hits that I recall on country stations was "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, "Afternoon Delight" by Starland vocal band , and many of Olivia Newton-John hits were played as well. In the 80s Lional Richie's "Stuck on You played on Country stations.
 
kenrayc said:
Lkeller said:
As for the Eagles, it seems to me their music was considered country-rock when it was new. Whether the Eagles got air-play on country stations I don't know. In the 60s and 70s, Top 40 stations played a lot of country hits, but you'd rarely hear pop hits on country stations, even when they arguably had some country influence.
Click to expand...


"Lyin' Eyes" by the Eagles did play on country stations back when it was at the top of the top 40 charts and I believe "Tequilla Sunrise" and "Peaceful Easy feeling" played as well. Others that were considered Pop hits that I recall on country stations was "I Can Help" by Billy Swan, "Afternoon Delight" by Starland vocal band , and many of Olivia Newton-John hits were played as well. In the 80s Lional Richie's "Stuck on You played on Country stations.
Click to expand...

Lionel Ritchie??!! Now that seems bizarre...on the other hand, I guess Stuck on You does have a somewhat country feel to it.

I've listen to The Wolf HD2 (Classic Country) from time to time. You hear a lot of country covers of pop hits...or maybe some of them were country hits first. Conway Twitty in particular did versions of Blue Suede Shoes, Bye Bye Love, and even Slow Hand, Actually, putting aside Conway's slight country twang, his version is a soulful as the Pointer Sisters'.
 
There are still some bright spots for the format. In Sonoma County, KJZY just had a very "up" book. I listen to it streaming at work in Oakland.
 
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