Music: Jazz

The Death of Jazz?

Jazz is rumored to have died in the 1990s, but in fact, jazz earned wider recognition, attained greater respectability, and attracted larger audiences than ever before. The iconography of jazz was more fashionable and more prevalent than when jazz was new, vigorous, and innovative. Glossy magazine advertisements for liquor, cigars, luxury automobiles, and other amenities of the "good life" often depicted a soulful saxophonist, trumpeter, or vocalist. With eyes shut tight and perspiration glistening on their foreheads, these jazz performers offered representations of the intensity, pleasure, and sophistication with which companies wished to associate their products. Yet, palpable feelings of unease counterbalanced the popularity of jazz. Throughout the 1990s, jazz aficionados found ample reason to sit on the ground and tell sad stories about the death of kings (and queens). The passing of Art Blakey, Miles Davis,...

[The entire page is 1092 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass