Whats the difference between jazz and smooth jazz?

Smooth Jazz-something that the weather channel would play and put me to sleep instantly jazz-innovative, interesting, exciting music Miles Davis John Coltrane Charlie Parker Duke Ellington Louis Armstrong

I can't understand why someone would give the Madgrocer's answer a thumbs down. I won't bother to explain why I think that. I would like to tell a little story that enforces his statement of "smooth jazz" not being a sub genre of jazz. I was in a New York City jazz record store a few weeks ago. The owner has been running the store for at least 30 years. This guy knows EVERYTHING about jazz music. While I was there, a couple was browsing the CD section of the store. To my humorous surprise, they asked the owner if he had any Chris Botti. It was funny to hear people ask this store owner for a CD that you can buy at K-Mart. Anyway,the owner had a puzzled look on his face. He had never even heard of Chris Botti. He had to go to his computer and check to see if he had any in the store. He came back and told the people that he didn't have any, of course. I had to laugh at the irony. If this guy didn't even recognize Chris Botti, it goes to show that that smooth "jazz" is not jazz at all.

It's like Miles Davis and Kenny G.

Smooth jazz suggestions: Grover - Mr. Magic, Ronnie Laws - Always There, Chuck Mangione - Feels So Good, David Sanborn, Tom Scott,

Smooth jazz is elevator music. Real jazz is an exciting art form.

Smooth jazz is predictable. Traditional jazz is VERY unpredictable. It is the basic recipe expressed in the form of injecting an attitude within the musical structure of any melody that allows musicians from any walk of life feel free to turn it into whatever they feel at that moment. Composing on the spot. Lots of happy accidents can happen thinking, feeling and playing that way. That's how all the spin-off subgenre's got started like BeBop, Swing, etc. Someone introduced a unique accent on a line of melody or phrasing or way of playing their instrument a different way on what came before and created a new attitude or an undefinable "presents". Miles introduced a profound stillness within a song while using an economy of notes and unique phrasing. The feeling or essence of being cool was his niche he carved out of the basic recipe of jazz. You're left asking yourself how can he make me feel this way when he's barely playing any notes or recognizable melody. He seems to be led by unseen forces lending an air of mystery and expectation of what's going to happen next. And yet he seems to be making it up as he's going along while turning it into a unique listening experience out of thin air. Smooth Jazz doesn't have this attitude and freedom to build upon this way of playing, feeling, thinking and experimenting with the melody. It's musical structure has a predictable beginning, middle and end so folks can listen to it in the background as they work or do whatever.

Smooth Jazz is instant jazz. You just add water and stir. It has no soul. It now comes in a convient pop top can too. Just pop and pour. It's music for when your with your girl. Real Jazz, now that's the thing. It music for musicians. .

Well, taking a guess here - but I think that the term "smooth jazz" is more a mellow version of serious jazz. I think that "smooth jazz" is probably a little more marketable to the mainstream than regular "jazz" that goes off into little tangents and rifts and runs and does all kinds of strange things - a lot of people don't really get true, serious "jazz", but they like "smooth jazz" when it just has a touch of regular jazz, but is just easier (at least in my opinion) to listen to.

I've been looking for a jazz that I can get into that isn't "smooth jazz", is there any that is dancy and upbeat? smooth jazz puts me to sleep