The State of Jazz

Can't think of many recent pop hits that I would classify as Jazz.

Popularity of Jazz overall has seemed to be on the decline for a number of years now.

I suppose its all relative....

Audiogon forums are the only place where I see Diana Krall etc discussed as the state of the art in jazz.

FROGMAN: I completely agree with your post. And perhaps I should have been more clear. But I was reflecting upon the fact that the majority of my favorite songs (straight no chaser; ruby my dear; basin street blues, etc.) were composed many decades ago. Further, all of my favorite jazz musicians did most of the recordings in the 60's or early seventies, and I wondered: which of today's musicians are making music that will be listened to fifty years from now…who is my generation's T. Monk or Miles Davis? Perhaps today's music industry is such that today's musicians cannot forge careers like those epic musicians listed above. Maybe there are no longer record executives like Alfred Lion.

I can't believe someone used Ella Fitzgerald and Diana Krall in the same sentence. Sacrilege!! That in itself says volumes about today's Jazz 'audience'. Thank God we have recorded music!

Cheers

Wait a minute are we talking about

1) the state of teh art as in what is happening in the art, or

2) state of the art as in who/what is setting the highest standards for others to surpass artistically?

Diana Krall is clearly significant in context of 1) in my mind.

2) is far more debatable and I would probably not go there myself, though her records I have heard do seem to have good sound quality and she herself would seem to have the "it" factor needed to be a star these days compared to many.