Smile Aisle
Distinguished deep cuts done with deft and determination
Smile Aisle is a Bellingham, Washington–based group led by guitarist Ben Meyer. The project is built around music that is melodic and easy to listen to while remaining subtly complex and technically sophisticated, performed in a format suited to intimate spaces. Focusing on the music of the Pat Metheny Group, Smile Aisle presents a selection of instrumental deep cuts as a key ingredient in creating a relaxed, social atmosphere in a style they call yacht jazz.
Spring Ain't Here
What Is Yacht Jazz?
Yacht jazz is Ben’s name for music that gives a space a sense of effortless refinement. It is immediately inviting and melodic, yet layered enough to reward a listener’s attention.
A yacht is the ultimate symbol of luxury, which is the feeling the name is meant to evoke. The idea is to create the feeling of having unexpectedly arrived somewhere luxurious—a rooftop, a waterfront lounge, or a yacht—where sophisticated instrumental music feels like the natural soundtrack. The music does not overpower the occasion; it quietly elevates it.
