Why Doesn't Contemporary Jazz Get Any Respect?

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

T_bone and Onhwy61, very valid points.

Personally, I've always thought of art as being in the eye, or in this case the ear, of the beholder. I can't now recall how many decades ago it was I first read the phrase in print: Jazz is America's only true art form.

At the time I read it, it somehow seemed to fit. But you're absolutely correct, western films are held in high esteem throughout Europe.

Albert may likely be far more qualified than I to shed some light on how the phrase came into being. Okay, now you've got me very curious. Who was it that first coined the phrase, and in what social context was it first conveyed? Looks like I've got some serious researching to do. My intuition tells me it seems like a phrase that could have been used by either a jazz historian or black historian. If anyone has any actual knowledge of how this phrase came into being I hope they'll chime in.

Smooth jazz is okay in my book. Though I'm not a fan of the genre, any music that points new listener's in the direction of classic jazz I'm all for it. This music, classic jazz, has a beautiful and romantic history associated with it. And of course a fabulous cast of character's. I missed my calling. I'd have loved to have lived during jazz's heyday strolling down 52nd street amidst the sounds of genius filling the air on any given Friday night.

Charlie Parker lives...

Coltrane,
My only question is how many people strolling down 52nd Street in the 50's realised what they were listening to?
It was a moment in time.

Regards,

Neil Armstrong setting foot upon the moon one July 1969-
Albert Einstein discovering the theory of relativity-
The Beatle's appearing on the Ed Sullivan show one 1964 Sunday evening-

All were but moments in time, that changed the direction of life on the planet.

Jazz on 52nd street was a laboratory of self discovery for musician's, and society - Both delving the depths of music unlike anything that had been done before.

To a larger degree than many recognize, this point in time too changed the face of music forever. To be dismissive of this period does not give the music or its creators the respect they deserve. These cats were geniuses living on the avantgarde cutting edge of change - Both musically and socially.

Calling Kenny G, The Rippingtons and most similar stuff contemporary jazz is kind of like calling cool whip and velveeta cheese modern cuisine. Contemporary players like Dave Holland, Tim Berne, Fred Frith, Gerry Hemingway and Ken Vandermark get a fair amount of respect, (but maybe not a whole lot of $$$). Going back a couple of posts, it could be argued that blues and a few of its evolutionary mutations have American origins. Instrumental surf rock per the Ventures, The Mermen, Los Straitjackets, Link Wray and Dick Dale for example. Sorry if this is getting a little too off topic, but another huge uniquely American figure (whose recent death has been puzzlingly overlooked on this site) is Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart). He put out records with percussive elements and phrasing that you can't pin on anyone else and he influenced a heck of a lot of other recording artists.