Jazz has been a beloved genre of music for decades, but in recent years it has been overshadowed by other forms of music such as rock and hip-hop. But why has jazz become less popular? In this article, we explore the reasons behind the decline of jazz and how it is being preserved in educational and cultural circles. A new book by photographer Jim Marshall shows jazz when it was still very popular. But if jazz really died, what was the cause of death and when did it die? Was there, in fact, anything they could have done? DeVeaux, a jazz historian, believes that jazz is mainly preserved in educational and cultural circles such as Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
He also believes that a new generation of jazz titans is emerging, with Grammy-winning pianist Robert Glasper successfully mixing jazz with R&B and hip-hop, and Grammy-winning jazz bassist Esperanza Spalding recently performing at the White House. Jazz enjoyed a period of enormous and wide popularity in the swing era (approximately 1935-1944). Later, jazz progressed into the era of be-bop, and most people stopped listening. Elements of jazz remained in the mainstream market for a while, such as the big bands that accompanied post-war singers and jump-blues bands.
But jazz as a genre had moved away from popular taste. By the time rock & roll became popular in the mid-fifties, the jazz style had practically disappeared from popular music. The counterculture of the 60s changed everything and there is no going back. How good today's jazz musicians are is completely irrelevant.
Jazz isn't unpopular, but it's less popular than hip-hop, R&B, rock, etc., essentially because it happened in the 1960s. Concessions and triumphs have been made for jazz with the Yale Jazz Initiative, funded by a donor under the administration of the School of Music. Currently, there are no credit jazz classes, infrequent course offers, and a single jazz improvisation course. Mostly I agree, but surprisingly, I have spoken to other musicians who have had encounters with Wynton at concerts and have said that it is actually great and quite encouraging.
I also read his book “Letters to a Young Jazz Musician” and found it really inspiring; he definitely has a curmudgeon character of the jazz police, but I don't think he has bad intentions; his passion only manifests itself in a certain way. Remember, jazz is a small ecosystem, so most international tours tend to play in local bars, art spaces, and music-focused venues between the biggest festival or club dates. Although jazz clubs have largely been replaced by concerts in bars and restaurants, there are plenty of venues for jazz musicians to play. Teaching his first semester of “Jazz in America 1900-1960” this spring, Kane describes himself as an “unbridled historicist” who avoids essentialist definitions of jazz because inevitably, and sometimes intentionally, they include and exclude certain styles, movements, audiences and artists from the realm of real jazzy.
On the contrary, jazz has branched out in a million different directions, some of which are difficult to recognize as jazz if you don't have an ear for it. Asked what would change about the existing program, Wayne Escoffery said he would “separate jazz improvisation into classes in theory, transcription, repertoire creation and jazz ear training” and then adding that he would “expand the combined program so that more students can participate targeting specific periods and styles. But jazz struggles a bit with this as many jazz audiences don't want to hear Squarepusher while many Squarepusher listeners find John Coltrane quite appetizing. While I agree with Marsalis that jazz should not succumb to the meaningless vulgarity of most popular music where Marsalis goes wrong is assuming any relationship with the popular and commercial means annulling it as jazzy. Professor Kane hopes to create a jazz studies program joining forces with professors in African American Studies American Studies and other disciplines to complement performance-based courses with the study of the history of jazz and its relationship to race gender culture and class in the States United. The festival embodies the diversity of jazz and invites listeners to explore their own musical development.
A member of the Black Jazz Art Collective Escoffery feels that he should be able to celebrate jazz without apology as music of distinctly African origins. If Wynton entered 90% of today's local jazz concerts he'd be horrified because there's so much funk in today's jazz.
