What’s Up With All The Smooth Jazz Hate?

A stock photo of a man really laying into the saxophone.

“Smooth jazz is neither smooth, nor jazz,” is a phrase my father would utter every time the subgenre came up in conversation, no matter the context. A large portion of the jazz community shares the same sentiment as my father and I’ve always wondered why. So, after doing a little bit of research on the topic and combing internet forums for public opinions, I’ve found the reason why this subgenre is so controversial. In…