„The Death of Jazz“: The End of a History of an Improvised Music?

Abstract

Nothing is easy in thinking over offering a scientific explanation of how and why the jazz leaders were lacking in innovation and losing the audience since the end of the sixties. Already known arguments are in the assumptions that the rock invasion flooded the market that previously belonged to jazz, and that jazz was losing commercial attractiveness as the rock production far exceeded the jazz releases. However, the new jazz audience, emerged at the end of the sixties, ignored the criticisms aimed to discourage fusion and similar experiments by dismissing every flirt with popular music. Perhaps the answers should be sought in the production formatting changes, or digitalization as the easy access to contents might have discouraged both artists and the public. Perhaps the world music invasion delegitimized every elitist movement, as the death of jazz also preceded the death of rock. During the last several years, jazz is the least listened-to music in the U.S. after children's music, and jazz was the only genre to have its digital album sales fall between 2011 and 2012. Finally, while feeding competition and talent development, exposure to open market economy, has destroyed many careers and lives. However, it could be helpful to examine the influence of state protectionism and academism on decline of inspiration and the power of individual expression.