The downfall of smooth jazz/ radio [[imo) had to do with stations trying to make every slow r&b/soul song on the planet part of the genre. As a result they lost their core listeners and the ones that gravitated to the "midnight grooves" could easily find it elsewhere so why come to a smooth jazz station to listen?
M, I never said all smooth jazz was bad or all traditional jazz is good but as you say it boils down to personal preferences.
Ands it's not so much as knocking a particular style for me as it is in making suggestions to my friends based on the aesthetic parameters they have told me they prefer most

Excellent examples of true music lovers who have the ability to express their feelings and opinions in a way which can be understood.

Personally I don't care for the more improvisational Coltrane but rather the the older more traditional Coltrane. His Prestige recordings were some of the best I ever heard. At one time I was in to Eric Dolphy but he lost me over a period of time. M, I couldn't agree with you more about smooth jazz stations....ugh........

I have a very healthy collection of jazz music and like everybody from Ellington and Basie to Stanley and Hank Crawford. Never cared much for Louie Armstrong but I recognize and his respect his talent. I am particularly fond of saxophone and organ combo's, [[ bass and drums of course) some smooth jazz is beautiful but I tend to prefer original compositions over the standard rehash of singular pop or R & B tunes...in fact I find Miles Davis version of Time After Time an exception to the rule...lol.....well done Splanky, M, Daddy A.....and oh yes I see Wicked sneaked in and mentioned one of my favorite west coast players Sonny Criss......his album Warm and Sonny is classic.