A genre of music that utilises instruments (and, at times, improvisation) traditionally associated with jazz and stylistic influences drawn from, among other sources, funk, pop and R&B.

Smooth jazz as it is known today emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s as the merging of jazz and pop/rock music took a more commercial direction in the form of compositions with a softer sound palette that could fit comfortably in a soft rock radio playlist. It grew out of a number of existing styles including jazz fusion, but unlike that form tends to emphasise melody and de-emphasise improvisation. Artists such as Lee Ritenour, Al Jarreau, Grover Washington, Jr., George Benson, Sérgio Mendes, Kenny G, Bob James and David Sanborn among others were leading purveyors of this pop-oriented fusion (also known as 'west coast' or 'AOR fusion').

However, the roots of smooth jazz can be traced back to the late 1960s when famed record producer Creed Taylor worked with guitarist Wes Montgomery on several widely popular instrumental versions of familiar pop songs such as Eleanor Rigby and Scarborough Fair. From this success, Taylor founded CTI Records and atttracted many established jazz performers such as George Benson and Stanley Turrentine. Though the records recorded under Taylor's guidance were typically aimed as much at pop audiences as at jazz fans, they were generally well-received by jazz purists as balancing the artistic with the commercial.

Smooth jazz has since become extremely successful as a commercial radio format in the US, but is generally now rejected by jazz purists who find that it rarely contain the improvisational qualities that originally surfaced in jazz decades earlier.