Contemporary Jazz

Contemporary jazz, sometimes also called “straight-ahead jazz” is similar to smooth jazz in that it utilises instruments (and at times, improvisation), traditionally associated with jazz and stylistic influences drawn from R&B, funk and pop.

However, both genres are slightly different in the way they serve the listener. Smooth jazz is generally considered background music, whereas contemporary jazz is seen as demanding the listener's undivided attention.

This description is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses materials from the Wikipedia article "Smooth jazz".