When I lived in Denver years ago, I spent about a year in a somewhat pricey apartment complex close to to the city limits. At the complex, smooth jazz was piped into every public space; the pool, recreation room, laundry rooms, community rooms, and leasing offices. Even the music on hold was smooth jazz. At two upscale lifestyle centers near my house in suburban Cleveland, smooth jazz is also played in common areas.
Whenever I have to resort to listening to terrestrial radio, commercials for high-end products such as jewelery stores, stock brokers, BMW and Lexus dealers, and the like, are almost always punctuated with smooth jazz.
So, what is it about smooth jazz that makes it associated with the concept of “upscale?”
My dad and brother are both jazz musicians and their opinion of smooth jazz is that it’s fluff for the masses. It has little resemblance to the real deal. But people like it as background music because they don’t have to work too hard at it.
Because truly innovative American music that creates an intense emotional response (think hot jazz, rock and roll, gospel, or bluegrass as examples) were created by the American poor.
Therefore, smooth jazz, which inspires no emotional response save loathing, must be associated with affluence.