Has jazz become America’s least-popular genre?

[KeithR]

I don't know a single person under 40 (and I'm under that #) that listens to jazz. Post-Wynton Marsalis, I don't know of a single more mainstream success.

 

[rockitman]

I don't know a single person under 40 (and I'm under that #) that listens to jazz. Post-Wynton Marsalis, I don't know of a single more mainstream success.

That's a shame...another symptom of humanity's decline...

 

[KeithR]

Christian- i think EDM has a lot to do with it.

As for myself, I've tried to get into it but its overwhelming. Only have 10 albums.

 

[JackD201]

Reverse effect for me. House Music led me to Acid Jazz which led me to Jazz.

 

[wanta911]

Christian- i think EDM has a lot to do with it.

As for myself, I've tried to get into it but its overwhelming.

+1 for me.

I am now the wrong side of 50 and have recently been delving into Jazz, which has basically been completely unknown to me apart from owning some Norah Jones & Diana Krall, which I guess is more in the popular or mainstream category of the genre? I have seen that Patricia Barber seems to be popular with some audiophiles and whilst I like some of her material and actually own the Modern Cool album, I am not sure that I am a fan of her voice. At this early stage I am suspecting that I am partial to some Jazz Fusion, I recently picked up Stanley Clarke's School Days album which I absolutely love. I also bought Al Jarreau's High Crime, which I really like but suspect that a lot of jazz purists would not due to the use of drum machines?

Anyway, the search continues into a genre that at this stage, is so varied and overwhelming for me given my lack of exposure......

 

[mauidan]

I don't know a single person under 40 (and I'm under that #) that listens to jazz. Post-Wynton Marsalis, I don't know of a single more mainstream success.

Seems like there are a lot young people listening to Jazz in these College & University Jazz Education Programs:

Amarillo College

American Conservatory of Music

American River College

Arizona State University

Auburn University

Augusta State University

Augustana College

Baker University

Berklee College of Music

Boston Conservatory

Bowling Green State University

Brevard College

Brigham Young University (BYU)

Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music

Brubeck Institute at University of the Pacific

Bucknell University

Cabrillo College

Cal Poly State University

California Institute of the Arts (CalArts)

California State University at Bakersfield

California State University at Chico

California State University at East Bay

California State University at Fullerton

California State University at Long Beach

California State University at Los Angeles

California State University at Monterey Bay

California State University at Northridge

California State University at Sacramento

Capital University Conservatory of Music

Cardinal Stritch University

Carnegie Mellon University

Casper College

Central Michigan University

Central Missouri State University

Chicago College of Performing Arts at RooseveltUniversity

City College of New York

City University of New York

Clayton State University

Cleveland State University

Coe College

Colgate University

College of Charleston

College of Lake County

College of Southern Idaho

College of St. Rose

Collin County Community College

Columbia College (Chicago)

Columbia University

Columbus State University

Community College of Baltimore (Catonsville)

Community College of Rhode Island

Community College of Southern Nevada

Cornish College of the Arts

Cuyahoga Community College

Davidson College

DePaul University

DePauw University

Diablo Valley College

Duke University

Duquesne University

East Carolina University

East Stroudsburg University

Eastern Illinois University

Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Washington University

Eastman School of Music

El Camino College

Elmhurst College

Elon College

Emporia State University

Fairfield University

Five Towns College

Florida International University

Florida Southern College

Florida State University

Fresno City College

Fullerton College

Furman University

George Mason University

Georgetown University

Georgia State University

Goucher College

Grambling State University

Hampton University

Harrison School of Music

Hartford Conservatory

Houston Community College

Howard University

Hunter College of the City University of New York

Hutchinson Community College

Illinois State University

Indiana University

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Ithaca College

Jackson State University

Jacksonville State University

James Madison University

JazzSchool Institute

Johnson State College

Juilliard School

Kirkwood Community College

Knox College

Kutztown University

LaGrange College

Lamar University

Laney College

Lawrence University

Lehigh University

Long Island University

Longy School of Music

Los Angeles Music Academy

Los Medanos College

Loyola University New Orleans

Manhattan School of Music

Marshall University

McNally Smith College of Music

McNeese State University

Mesa Community College

Miami-Dade Community College - Wolfson Campus

Miami-Dade Community College, Kendall Campus

Michigan State University

Middle Tennessee State University

Millersville University

Millikin University

Montclair State University

Montgomery College

Mt. San Antonio College

Musicians Institute

Naropa University

New England Conservatory of Music

New Jersey City University

New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music

New World School of the Arts

New York University

North Carolina Central University

North Central College

Northeast Community College (Nebraska)

Northern Arizona University

Northern Illinois University

Northwest College

Northwestern College

Northwestern University

Oakland University

Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Occidental College

Ohio Northern University

Ohio State University

Ohio University

Olive-Harvey College

Orange County Community College

Otterbein College

Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University

Pittsburg State University

Portland State University

Princeton University

Purchase College (SUNY) Conservatory of Music

Queens College - CUNY

Rowan University

Rutgers University

Rutgers University at Newark

Saint Mary's University (San Antonio)

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

San Bernardino Valley College

San Diego State University

San Francisco State University

San Jose State University

Seattle Central Community College

Seminole State College

Shenandoah University

Shepherd University

Shoreline Community College

Sierra College

Simpson University

Skidmore College Jazz Institute

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Sonoma State University

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

Southern University and A&M College

Southwestern Oklahoma University

Stanford Jazz Workshop

Stanford University

Stephen F. Austin State University

Sterling College

SUNY - Binghamton

SUNY - Potsdam

SUNY College of Fredonia

Syracuse University

Temple University

Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Texas Christian University

Texas State University - San Marcos

Texas Tech University

The Collective School of Music

Towson University

Tulane University

University of Akron

University of Alabama

University of Arizona

University of California at Berkeley Jazz Ensembles

University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA)

University of California at San Diego

University of California at Santa Cruz

University of Central Missouri

University of Central Oklahoma

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Connecticut

University of Denver

University of Evansville (Indiana)

University of Georgia

University of Hartford

University of Idaho

University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Iowa

University of Kansas

University of Kentucky

University of La Verne

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

University of Louisville

University of Maine at Augusta

University of Maryland

University of Massachusettes at Amherst

University of Memphis

University of Miami

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

University of Minnesota at Duluth

University of Missouri

University of Missouri - Kansas City

University of Montana

University of Nebraska at Kearney

University of Nebraska at Lincoln

University of Nebraska at Omaha

University of Nevada at Las Vegas

University of Nevada at Reno

University of New Hampshire

University of New Orleans

University of North Carolina at Asheville

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

University of North Florida

University of North Texas

University of Northern Colorado

University of Northern Iowa

University of Oklahoma

University of Oregon

University of Pittsburgh

University of Redlands

University of Rhode Island

University of Richmond

University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina Upstate

University of South Florida

University of Southern California

University of Southern Maine

University of Southern Mississippi

University of Tennessee

University of Texas at Arlington

University of Texas at Austin

University of the Arts

University of the Cumberlands

University of the District of Columbia

University of the Pacific

University of Toledo

University of Utah

University of Vermont

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

University of Wisconsin - Madison

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Utah State University

Valdosta State University

Valparaiso University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Tech University

Wallace State College

Washburn University

Washington State University

Wayne State University

Weatherford Community College

Webster University

West Chester University

West Virginia University

West Virginia Wesleyan University

Western Carolina University

Western Connecticut State University

Western Illinois University

Western Michigan University

Western Washington University

Westfield State University

Whitworth College

Wichita State University

William Paterson University

Williams College

Winthrop University

Wisconsin Conservatory of Music

Xavier University

Youngstown State University

Yuba College

 

[rbbert]

We could use a "like" button here; great post Dan!

 

[JackD201]

Here's a curveball. Is it the decline of Jazz and Classical or simply the decline of instrumental music in general? If so it can be traced all the way back to the Opera and later the advent of the microphone which finally allowed solo vocalists to cut through without using operatic formant techniques.

 

[Mosin]

Here's a curveball. Is it the decline of Jazz and Classical or simply the decline of instrumental music in general? If so it can be traced all the way back to the Opera and later the advent of the microphone which finally allowed solo vocalists to cut through without using operatic formant techniques.

I think you are spot on with that observation. Classical was once what popular music is today. After all, Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" did cause a riot in Paris. That wouldn't have happened if classical had no followers. Then again, was jazz ever really that big? It seems to me that is was largely relegated to club performances for a small audiences when compared to other music of the times. Hollywood liked it, but did mainstream America, aside from the Frank Sinatra phenomenon? Swing was big, but is it the jazz we are discussing here? Anyway, I agree that the vocalists essentially killed it.

 

[rockitman]

Reverse effect for me. House Music led me to Acid Jazz which led me to Jazz.

Please supply some great acid jazz selections. I remember acid music in the 60-70's

 

[JackD201]

Omar, Brand New Heavies, Incognito, US3 are nice starting points

 

[Hi-FiGuy]

+1 for me.

I am now the wrong side of 50 and have recently been delving into Jazz, which has basically been completely unknown to me apart from owning some Norah Jones & Diana Krall, which I guess is more in the popular or mainstream category of the genre? I have seen that Patricia Barber seems to be popular with some audiophiles and whilst I like some of her material and actually own the Modern Cool album, I am not sure that I am a fan of her voice. At this early stage I am suspecting that I am partial to some Jazz Fusion, I recently picked up Stanley Clarke's School Days album which I absolutely love. I also bought Al Jarreau's High Crime, which I really like but suspect that a lot of jazz purists would not due to the use of drum machines?

Anyway, the search continues into a genre that at this stage, is so varied and overwhelming for me given my lack of exposure......

You must get Return To Forever's Romantic Warrior consisting of Stanley Clarke, Al Dimeola, Lenny White and Chick Corea and that will blow your socks off and give you 4 directions to explore after that. These cats are amazing.

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.607986950936071631&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

 

[mauidan]

+1 for me.

I am now the wrong side of 50 and have recently been delving into Jazz, which has basically been completely unknown to me apart from owning some Norah Jones & Diana Krall, which I guess is more in the popular or mainstream category of the genre? I have seen that Patricia Barber seems to be popular with some audiophiles and whilst I like some of her material and actually own the Modern Cool album, I am not sure that I am a fan of her voice. At this early stage I am suspecting that I am partial to some Jazz Fusion, I recently picked up Stanley Clarke's School Days album which I absolutely love. I also bought Al Jarreau's High Crime, which I really like but suspect that a lot of jazz purists would not due to the use of drum machines?

Anyway, the search continues into a genre that at this stage, is so varied and overwhelming for me given my lack of exposure......

Get a subscription to Jazziz.

 

[wanta911]

You must get Return To Forever's Romantic Warrior consisting of Stanley Clarke, Al Dimeola, Lenny White and Chick Corea and that will blow your socks off and give you 4 directions to explore after that. These cats are amazing.

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=HN.607986950936071631&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0

Thanks for the recommendation - it's on Qobuz so I'll stream it tomorrow and have a listen.

Get a subscription to Jazziz.

Cheers - I'll check it out.