A gateway to straight jazz? No, because if you embrace this music, you’ve already gone through gates and are heading down its fascinating corridors.

Fresh from the fusion triumph of A Beautiful Bang, Columbus, Ohio’s fo/mo/deep is poised to take listeners on another funky ride through the fun side of jazz.

The last time New Orleanian saxophonist Clarence Johnson III made a record, it was still the 1900s. You May Also Like: Julee Johnson, “So on Top of the World” (2020): One Track Mind Dave Stryker – ‘Eight Track III’ (2019) Esquire featuring Nikki Squire, “Ministry of Life” (2016): One TrackRead More

One of the bands often cited as a progenitor of smooth jazz and one of the style’s best known names, Spyro Gyra is also one of the most atypical acts of the form. You May Also Like: Tritone Asylum – ‘The Hideaway Sessions’ (2022) Butcher Brown – The Healer (2017)Read More

Saxophonist Najee has been a major figure in smooth jazz right from the get-go with his debut Najee’s Theme (1986), which came out smack dab in the middle of the genre’s emergence into a popular music style onto its own. You May Also Like: Bluey – ‘Tinted Sky’ (2020) LindseyRead More

June, 2011 was a bittersweet time for Jeff Golub. He had released The Three Kings that month, a blues-themed record that won this successful crossover jazz guitarist wide acclaim You May Also Like: Brian Groder Trio – R Train on the D Line (2016) Brian Charette – Once & FutureRead More

If the idea of smooth jazz makes you cringe, we’ve got some great news for you: It ain’t all bad.

So yesterday I read Matthew Shipp’s review of Keith Jarrett’s latest album Somewhere, or least ostensibly, it was a review. You May Also Like: Ivo Perelman, with Matthew Shipp + Joe Morris – ‘Shamanism’ (2020) Matthew Shipp – ‘The Intrinsic Nature of Shipp’ (2023) Matthew Shipp – ‘Codebreaker’ (2021)

Sophisticated UK pop group Matt Bianco may be best known in the US for launching the career of onetime member Basia. But their blend of Latin rhythms, acid jazz, and other world music influences render them an unfairly overlooked band. You May Also Like: Basia – Butterflies (2018) Tritone AsylumRead More

No summer barbecue is complete without the right soundtrack, and as a host, you have several choices: You can select straight ahead rock or some good soul music. You May Also Like: Incognito – ‘Tomorrow’s New Dream’ (2019) Natsuki Tamura – ‘Summer Tree’ (2022) Richard Elliot – ‘Authentic Life’ (2021)