THEY'RE SO SMOOTH JAZZ ARTISTS JAM TOGETHER AT ANNUAL FESTIVAL.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

Smooth-jazz may be the Rodney Dangerfield of pop genres - it gets no respect.

There are many reasons for this. Some say smooth-jazz is jazz for people who hate jazz, or know nothing about it. Some say it's new age with saxophones.

Remember, smooth-jazz is the radio format that's home to the likes of the dreaded (by true jazzers) Kenny G, Boney James and Dave Koz. One of the genre's biggest outlets is local station KTWV-FM (94.7) - the Wave. But that station has found room to play some imaginative music - specifically, pianist Brad Mehldau's cover of Neil Young's ``Old Man'' from the ``Space Cowboys'' soundtrack, among other pieces.

Not all of them go that far.

Some artists involved in the music refuse to even cop to the smooth-jazz label. For example, of the acts on Friday's ``Montreux Festival on Tour'' show at the Universal Amphitheatre, featuring Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack, David Sanborn, Joe Sample and George Duke, few would admit to playing that type of music, which partly has its origins in the mid-'70s work of saxophonist John Klemmer.

``This is not a smooth-jazz show in the classic sense,'' insists tour musical director Duke, the eclectic keyboardist, producer and singer who made trend-setting fusion albums in the '70s and went on to produce some of the biggest names in r&b and jazz. ``The term is a little strange because there's not a lot of jazz in the smooth. We're a nation of musical followers instead of innovators. Smooth-jazz sounds manufactured, like it comes from Detroit.''

For 34 years, international jazz, rock, gospel, pop and blues acts have jammed on the stages of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. This is the first year the concept has been taken on the road, to 21 cities.

``The most wonderful thing about it is the jam session approach,'' says veteran crooner and five-time Grammy winner Jarreau. ``It makes people's eyes light up. On these multiple-act bills - unless you go to a late-night jazz spot - you don't usually see these kinds of mixes and matches in these interesting combinations, everyone playing with everyone else.''

For example, Jarreau, whose current album, ``Tomorrow Today'' (GRP/VMG), has spent 23 weeks in Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, will sing the Count Basie tune, ``Shiny Stockings,'' with Duke, while saxophonist Sanborn will be involved in numerous musical meetings.

``We're supporting each other at various times,'' says keyboardist Sample, whose current hit album, ``The Song Lives On'' (PRA/GRP), features singer Lalah Hathaway, daughter of the late r&b great Donny Hathaway.

``There are no formulas on this stage,'' he adds. ``It's a compilation of various artists and sidemen and musicians and vocalists who have something to say. It's a very unformulized concept. These are the types of acts that the smooth-jazz stations have created from.''

While Los Angeles' highly successful Wave shows imagination, other new adult contemporary/smooth-jazz formats across the country reveal less. At smooth-jazz stations elsewhere, a typical playlist includes generous helpings of often bland pop instrumentals by the likes of Kenny G, David Benoit, James, Koz and Fourplay - and no Steely Dan, Kenny Garrett, George Benson, Ronny Jordan or Mehldau, artists that could easily fit the format.

``There's room for all of it,'' declares L.A. Wave music director Ralph Stewart. ``There are a number of smooth-jazz stations in the top five of their markets. We all know where our sweet spot is. I believe there's room to grow the format. People want a little surprise in the music programming.''

Sample believes the music would be better off if it wasn't so heavily researched by radio stations.

``Smooth-jazz wouldn't be an offensive term if they were doing it without consultants and one guy ruling it and they were really getting into the music of the artist,'' says Sample, one of the founders of pioneering jazz-funk group the Jazz Crusaders.

Meanwhile, as the Montreux tour travels the country, audiences are getting something they rarely see these days - musical experimentation and improvisation, even if the results are decidedly easy to swallow.

And the crowds, ranging widely in age and makeup, have been coming in droves.

At a show a few days ago in Tampa, Fla., for instance, Jarreau called for the house lights to be turned up.

``It looked like the United Nations in there - white, black, Asians, Cubans, Puerto Ricans - an interesting mix of ages and musical backgrounds,'' says Duke, whose new largely vocal-oriented album, ``Cool,'' is due in early October. ``The show is so diverse. It's really a variety show, a thoroughly integrated variety show. Like, I'll be playing something and all of a sudden David Sanborn will come out and start jamming with me. Last night, I was playing some space music and a guy from the crew came out in an alien mask. Stuff like that.''

Jarreau is an artist who is comfortable both in improv sessions and more controlled musical environments. Dubbed ``the voice of versatility,'' the singer has performed many times at the Montreux Festival in its home base.

``I'm lucky,'' he says. ``I'm getting a lot of airplay without having to change what I do. I'm not gonna rap and nothing's sampled, but we have kept the sound current.''

Jarreau bemoans the fact that there isn't a lot of competition waiting in the wings these days. In the age of hip-hop, few memorable singers are being produced, he says.

``Hip-hop is the sound kids want today,'' Jarreau says. ``We've kind of lost a generation, sadly. There's a fine group of young singers out there, but their music doesn't offer them a broad format for singing as it could. I wish there were more singers, but this is the day of the rapper. There's great rap and mediocre rap, like anything else.''

Equally disappointing, Jarreau continues, is the lack of exciting new instrumentalists on the scene. He chalks that up to the all-encompassing commercial effects of hip-hop, too.

``We've lost a generation who might've learned an instrument,'' the singer says. ``Today, it's all about sampling and rapping. Kids who might've looked up to Herbie Hancock or any number of players aren't doing that. They're sampling.

``The other upsetting trend is the closing of the clubs - not just jazz clubs but Top 40 - where people can hear actual music being performed.''

Sample went even further: ``I wish they would put a jazz club back into every black neighborhood in every American city.''

The facts

--What: ``Montreux Festival on Tour.''

--Who: Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack, David Sanborn, Joe Sample and George Duke.

--Where: Universal Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City.

--When: 7:15 p.m. Friday.

--Tickets: $20 to $70.50.

--Information: [phone].

CAPTION(S):

6 photos

Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) From front left: Al Jarreau, Joe Sample, Roberta Flack, George Duke and David Sanborn

(2) GEORGE DUKE

(3) ROBERTA FLACK

(4) DAVID SANBORN

(5) AL JARREAU

(6) JOE SAMPLE