Smooth jazz goes adult contemporary

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For over a decade, KBZN (97.9 FM) has been the home of Utah’s only smooth jazz radio station. The Breeze has featured instrumental artists like Boney James, Dave Koz, Kenny G, David Sanborn and Spyro Gyra. Artists like these will be decreased in their rotation on KBZN now that The Breeze has changed their format.

“Smooth jazz around the country . . . is finding their audience is getting older and older,” said the station’s operations director Dan Jessop. “There are fewer and fewer people who want a full diet of instrumentals.”

The station will now feature a more adult contemporary playlist. The music will be similar to the kind that is heard on FM100 and KOSY. KBZN hopes that the change will draw new listeners to the station.

“We are still trying to maintain some smooth jazz instrumentals in the mix, as well as adult contemporary vocals that we feel will mix correctly with those smooth jazz records,” said Jessop.

The change is part of an industry-wide transition from smooth jazz to smooth adult contemporary.

Jessop explained, “For all the genius and science we think radio is, it is still all about emotions and what people like.”