Jazz Instrumental Pop

Jazz Instrumental Pop encompasses a range of breezy, radio-friendly styles that emphasize smoothly contoured melodies, unobtrusive dynamics and gentle rock- and Funk-derived rhythms. Pioneered in the 1970s by musicians such as pianist Bob James, guitarist Lee Ritenour and trumpeter/flugelhorn player Chuck Mangione, Jazz Instrumental Pop occupies a similar easy listening niche as Smooth Jazz; in fact, the two are often brought together under the radio-programming banner of "contemporary jazz." However, where Smooth Jazz tends to be sultry and romance-ready, Jazz Instrumental Pop is often more flexible in terms of mood. As James once remarked in a Downbeat interview: "Some people have problems with their music being played in airports. I don't have any problem with that. If the music is getting played, that's a good thing, wherever it is -- grocery store, airport, jazz club."