Why Doesn't Contemporary Jazz Get Any Respect?

Well, I know it's a touchy subject, and perhaps too heavy to get into here, but one can't help but wonder what place jazz would hold amongst the American public if its legacy was laced with predominantly white artists as opposed to black artists. I'm not suggesting the best players are all black, for there have definitely been great contributions by white players as well. However, it's a valid question one has to ask themselves for the facts of history reflect these cats were discriminated against whilst creating this art form. Gillispie and Parker were known to title specific songs in protest of the racism of the times. Ornithology was one such example.

Kudo's to you Albert. It's always refreshing to observe the truth in print. Hot system there too. Whewwwwww, doggie!

An interesting thread. I would suggest that saying jazz is considered America's only true art form makes one question the definition of 'art form'.
Among music, bluegrass and musicals are certainly also native to the United States. The problem with most other 'art forms' is that if you define them broadly enough, like 'painting', the USA is obviously too young a region. If one goes more detailed, there are plenty.

The western movie genre is also a uniquely American art form. Sonny Rollins understood the connection to jazz. And John Wayne said "That'll be the day" before Buddy Holly.

While I like jazz generally (especially 50's & 60's), to me "smooth jazz" is like wallpaper.