The State of Jazz

Taste level has taken a massive decline since the advent of
both TV and Rock. And it was not all that high before that.
Also, as you ship every job not nailed down to China, dumber the people are the better .

Interesting question!

I'd say times change, including the standards.

Jazz sought new directions and largely wandered away from those standards years ago. Meandered away might be a better term, towards a lot of jamming to demonstrate a groups ability to work together and play off each other.

"Standards" always originate with popular songs. Those still come about these days but in a different form than in past years that produced modern day standards. SOme of that, the ones that are most accessible to the most, will continue to be popular I suspect. Unfotunately, I can't think of any single artist since The Beatles perhaps that produce a large portion of the times standards.

I think the internet and information age changes the game forever, making it increasingly harder for any single act to dominate on a large scale, like say The Beatles last did years ago.

Jazz? Are you serious?
What kind of 50 years or whatever standards?
Jazz is not not not about standards! Standart is Jazz's enemy and not only Jazz. It's for any style of music including classical as well. It's about maximum creativity and Diana Krall is only repeating what's already being done. There are large number of talented jazz musicians that aquired their own style, introduced new scales or combination of scales and Diana, sorry sorry isn't one of them at all. The 'except Diana, Norah or Kenny G' jazz alphabet is HUGE so listing of artists is pointless. The number of recommendation on jazz performances is also HUGE here in the previous posts.
Jazz also has history and herritage approaching span of classical music and has big future as well. Jazz will be forever jazz if it will be different and it is nowdays and it will always be in the future.
Jazz is pleasant and worthy due to the talented performers that acquire improvisational and technical abilities. If you're tired of listening of how Diana Krall's same thing is recorded on different albums and versions, you should really start researching great labels such as ECM, CMP, Verve, Celluloid, CTI, Prestige, Riverside, Roulette etc.
The number of talented jazz musicians is growing every day and you need to keep that State of Jazz by visiting festivals, going to live concerts and buying different jazz records not only Krall or Norah Jones.