Smooth Jazz Artists Remake R& B Classic Songs

Is it Jazz or just an easy hook to sell CDs?

Peter White was just a few stanzas into playing his rendition of Who’s That Lady, originally written and recorded by The Isley Brothers, when I overheard a guy sitting next to me at the concert say he hates it when artists re-record R& B songs.  However, the crowd loved it and so did I.  But it made me wonder.

Is there anything wrong with re-interpreting a popular song? Artists in every genre do it. Didn’t Laruen Hill become an international sensation, winning a Grammy in the process by re-recording chart-topping Roberta Flack hits?

There are far too many to list here but are we better or worse off by these fabulous remakes?

Remakes by Pop Artists/Song – Original Artist

• Elvis Presley/Hound Dog – Big Momma Thornton (One of Elvis’ biggest hits)
• The Beatles/Twist and Shout – The Isley Brothers (The Brits loved the “race music” of the 50s and 60s)
• Whitney Houston/I’ll Always Love You – Dolly Parton

And the fact that these “old school” favorites raced up the Top 50 Jazz Charts, shows that fans loved strolling down memory lane with these jazz-infused remakes.

Remakes by Smooth Jazz Artists/Song – Original Artist

• Jeff Lorber/Ain’t Nobody – Chaka Chan
• Boney James/Sweet Thing – Rufus with Chaka Chan (How could either of them miss when starting with such soulful originals and Chaka’s voice?)
• Jason Miles/Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye
• Kim Waters/Got To Give It Up – Marvin Gaye (Classic House Party Jam)
• Kurt Whalum/Give Me the Reason – Luther Vandross (We Miss You)
• Norman Brown/That’s the Way Love Goes – Janet Jackson
• Wayman Tisdale/Get Down On It – Kool and the Gang  — (And when Wayman used to bang out this popular hit with his bad-ass bass, the crowd would go wild, just like they did with Peter.)

And the list of remakes goes on and on.

Call us to book your stateroom on a Smooth Jazz Cruise for 2012. This cruise is wildly popular and has sold more than half the cabins so call today to secure your cabin.  Some of the artists scheduled to appear at this jam session at sea are David Sanborn, Gerald Albright, Boney James, Rick Braun, Candy Dulfer, Joe Sample, Peter White and special guest Smokey Robinson.   Billed at the Greatest Party at Sea, it is sure to be off the chain. There are two sailings; the first leaving on Jan. 15-22, 2012 and the other on Jan. 22 – 29, 2010.

Both R&B and Smooth Jazz have their roots in American Jazz.  So fundamentally, they have a lot in common.  But in my opinion, good music is just that, good to and for your soul.  So why should Smooth Jazz artists be held to a different standard? And would it be wrong if they happen to sell a few (more) CDs in the process?

What do you think about Smooth Jazz artists re-recording R&B hits? Send us a comment.

Tags: Smooth Jazz, The Travel Gospel