Disappearing Jazz?


After years of collecting all types of music except jazz and big band I'm now playing catchup.  Looking at the recordings of Ruby Braff (trumpet), Dick Hyman (piano) Roland Hanna (piano). Art Tatum (piano), Claude Bolling even the great vocalist Sarah Vaughan I find the majority of their catalog is only available used on vinyl.  There are many other names I could have included in this list - I'm gradually getting to them (Thelonious Sphere Monk, etc ).

Beyond the lack of availability what alarms me as a new collector of this genre is that there doesn't appear to be musicians to take the place of these giants.  Not to say there are no more Big Bands or jazz pianists BUT how many new artists have the hundreds of recordings these musicians created?

Is jazz disappearing?  Will streaming services eventually include recordings only available on LP? 

Feel free to offer any suggestions for other artists to collect in the traditional jazz / big band category.  I also have collected Miles, Coltrane and Bill Evans though just starting to dive into Ellington.

Hoping to find this music soon.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

bigquery

Again, you said that you are looking for some recommendations of ’traditional jazz and Ellington as well’...so, this must be it...will post few, but there are many, many albums to look for...

 

 

 

Jazz isn't dead, it just moved to London. One of my more favorite new jazz groups is GoGo Penguin. They're one of the forefront bands of the new London jazz scene where they have taken the classic genre and adapted some more modern styling. Not as different (gross) as country music with an 808 beat machine but more so a new twist while still honoring the past sound.

For a little more consistent with the classic jazz sound, check out Brad Meldhau or Charlie McBride. They're still putting out great music.