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The State of Jazz

I was recently listening to "The Best of Diana Krall" LP. It is an amazing album. But later, I reflected on the fact that she sang almost entirely 'standards,' which means the songs are all at least 50 years old. Then, I thought, why hasn't the Jazz Community produced any more recent songs that have become standards. Then I thought: it is most likely, that the same standards (i.e., basin street blues; willow weep for me, etc.) will be sung for the next 50 years--and I wondered, are we producing any songs today that will become standards. I don't think so. Bu, why not?
elegal
frogman
7,559 posts
 
****Then, I thought, why hasn't the Jazz Community produced any more
recent songs that have become standards. ****are we producing any songs
today that will become standards. I don't think so*****

Just a few jazz standards (or appropriated by jazz players) written after
1960:

One Note Samba
Stolen Moments
Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)
Days of Wine and Roses
Meditation
Blue Bossa
Blusette
Girl From Ipanema
Once I Loved
Oye Como Va
Recorda-me
Watermelon Man
Cantaloupe Island
Juju
Song For My Father
Ceora
Dindi
Dolphin Dance
The Gentle Rain
Maiden Voyage
Speak No Evil
Footprints
Litha
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
Freedom Jazz Dance
Triste
Wave
La Fiesta
Spain
Crystal Silence
Little Sunflower
Red Clay
Chameleon
Mr Magic
Send In The Clowns
Birdland
A Time For Love
Pretty Women
Send In The Clowns
Maria
Somewhere
What I Did For Love

And the list goes on. Some of the Beatles' songbook are well on their way
as are songs by Stevie Wonder and others. Jazz may be different today
(it's supposed to be), but it is alive and well.
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
The most popular may also be simply pronounced as POP.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,915 posts
 
Can't think of many recent pop hits that I would classify as Jazz.

Popularity of Jazz overall has seemed to be on the decline for a number of years now.

I suppose its all relative....
oddmorning
44 posts
 
Audiogon forums are the only place where I see Diana Krall etc discussed as the state of the art in jazz.
elegal OP
70 posts
 
FROGMAN: I completely agree with your post. And perhaps I should have been more clear. But I was reflecting upon the fact that the majority of my favorite songs (straight no chaser; ruby my dear; basin street blues, etc.) were composed many decades ago. Further, all of my favorite jazz musicians did most of the recordings in the 60's or early seventies, and I wondered: which of today's musicians are making music that will be listened to fifty years from now…who is my generation's T. Monk or Miles Davis? Perhaps today's music industry is such that today's musicians cannot forge careers like those epic musicians listed above. Maybe there are no longer record executives like Alfred Lion.
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