Jazz Music ‘Doesn’t Go Out Of Style’

Ron Jackson and his quartet performing for a sold-out audience at The Django. [Photo: Mike Merolle]

"Start spreading the news" is a famous lyric from Frank Sinatra's hit "Theme from New York, New York," a song that remains popular today despite being released over 40 years ago. It's a timeless tune that hasn't faded away along with others in the jazz genre.

“Everybody seems to find their way to this music,” said Rick Mitchell, a music radio programmer in Portland, Oregon, and former music critic for The Houston Chronicle. “Some people have argued [jazz] has been undergoing a new golden age or a new renaissance. I’m not sure if I agree with that because that would imply it died. I don’t think it ever really died.”

Mitchell, author of "Jazz in the New Millennium: Live and Well," believes jazz has been stronger than ever since the mid-20th century. He attributes part of its success to the number of college jazz education programs in the US today that didn’t exist in the ’70s. Among the many US colleges offering jazz in their music departments, 12 offer doctoral degrees in jazz studies, according to Jazzinamerica.org. 

Another staple in the genre that has kept it alive is the number of live performances in festivals and clubs. Cities like New Orleans and New York City have a vast amount of jazz events with large crowds in parks or smaller ones in bars. Adam Sieff, a UK radio host for the “Jazz on the Beach” broadcast and former director of jazz for Sony Music, believes the genre excels in cities regardless of the venue size.

“It’s very much influenced by the live experience,” Sieff said. “A place like the Total Refreshment Centre, which is really just a warehouse in north London. It’s where you go to drink, listen to music, and other artistic things are going on. But primarily, it’s a place where people go to relax and have fun. I think young people don’t really think, ‘Oh, I’m listening to jazz music.’”

Steven Maglio is a jazz singer who performs weekly in The Carnegie Club in Manhattan. His sets are titled “Sinatra Saturdays,” where he covers Sinatra’s early music and hits, which remain popular today.

“I’ve been there 20 years now. We started growing gradually,” Maglio said. “About a year and a half ago, a TikTok influencer came in and put it up on TikTok. From there, some other influencers came in, and it just kind of snowballed.” 

Maglio’s performance has drawn massive interest from social media even outside the US.

“A couple of weeks ago, in the first show, a girl came up to me with her mother and said, ‘Today is my 21st birthday. We came from London because we saw this on TikTok and I wanted to come and spend my 21st birthday here.’ In the second show, another girl with her boyfriend came over. ‘It’s my 21st birthday, we came from London and we wanted to be here to see the show.’ Two of them in one night. It’s amazing how the young people are latching on to it. It’s romantic songs. Romance doesn’t go out of style,” Maglio said.

Maglio also believes the genre is not dead. He understands that a majority of the youth listen to genres like rap, but he thinks one out of every thousand has a romantic heart and they’ll find jazz. Maglio says that some singers’ music is timeless because of their attitude and flair.

“Frank [Sinatra], Dean [Martin], and Sammy [Davis Jr.] were the original jet setters. You get people like Bobby Darin who still swings, Louis Prima is still popular, and even Nat King Cole. But because [Cole] sang mellow, he’s kind of dying off a little bit too. It’s the swingers that are really hanging on,” Maglio said.

“Swingers” have been trending on TikTok for the same reason. Influencers with mass followings, like Dan Murray and Edward Preble, spread the art of the 50s crooners, and it caught many people’s eyes. 

In an unscientific study analyzing 60 people’s responses to a questionnaire about jazz, the data is consistent with Mitchell’s and Maglio’s observations. Of the 60 people, 83.3% are Gen Z and 16.7% are millennials. The data shows that the younger generations are listening to jazz, whether it’s regularly or just during the Christmas season. To Maglio’s point on singers with flair being known, 96.7% of the participants were familiar with Sinatra, and the second highest was Louis Armstrong at 66.7%.

Besides social media, jazz is alive in social places such as bars and clubs. One of the trending ones on TikTok is called The Django. They offer nightly live music performances, both band and vocal. Ryan Hussey, 25, is a jazz enthusiast who attended a Friday night performance.

Workers prepare the set for a performance in The Django. [Photo: Mike Merolle]

“I used to study music, and I stop by here and other places in the city every now and then to see different musicians perform,” Hussey said. “A trick to know for beginners is to try and listen for a story in each song you hear. Jazz musicians are always trying to convey a message in their music.”

Mya Beckham, 20, was also in attendance, and she shared her experience of getting into jazz. 

“I actually started listening to it after that Disney movie ‘Soul’ came out a few years ago. Something about that movie was so relaxing, and it sort of opened the door to all of this for me.”

Gen Z isn’t the only generation enjoying jazz clubs. Michael Matranga, 39, shared his thoughts about a surge in attendance at jazz shows in the past decade.

“It has to be a social media thing because 10 years ago, there’s maybe half of the people here at these shows. It makes you think what it will look like in 10 or 20 years. It’s a good thing for everyone.”