Smooth jazz, also sometimes referre to as new adult contemporary music, is generally described as a genre of music that utilizes instruments (and, at times, improvisation) traditionally associated with jazz and stylistic influences drawn from mostly R&B, but also funk and pop. Beginning in the mid 1980s, it had become successful as a radio format; however, in 2007, the format began to show signs of losing popularity as several high-profile radio stations in the Midwest and East Coast of the US began changing formats away from smooth jazz. There has been a backlash against the genre, mostly from jazz purists who consider the recordings bland, overly commercial and not truly jazz.