New Orleans Jazz Scene

 

The Jazz Scene Around 2000

The turn of the millennium marked a new era in jazz music. As the genre evolved, so too did the jazz scene, with the turn of the century coming to be seen as a watershed moment in the history of the art form. Jazz music had been around for some time, but in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it underwent a resurgence in popularity, both in the United States and around the world.

This period in jazz history was marked by a number of factors, including the emergence of new styles, the emergence of new technologies and instruments, and the rise of new stars. In this article, we'll take a look at the jazz scene around 2000 and the notable events, performers, and trends that helped shape it.

Jazz Styles at the Turn of the Century

At the turn of the century, jazz was undergoing a period of significant stylistic change. While jazz had always been an open-ended and ever-evolving genre, the late 1990s and early 2000s saw a number of new stylistic approaches come to prominence.

One of the most notable of these was jazz-fusion, which blended jazz with elements of funk, rock, and other genres. This style was popularized by artists such as Medeski, Martin & Wood and the Dave Matthews Band, and it was embraced by many jazz fans as a way to make the music more accessible to a wider audience.

At the same time, the resurgence of jazz in the late 1990s and early 2000s saw the emergence of a new style of jazz known as "nu-jazz", which blended traditional jazz with elements of hip-hop, funk, soul, and other contemporary genres. This style was popularized by artists such as the Bad Plus, the Grayboy Allstars, and the Jazz Mandolin Project, and it helped to bring jazz to a younger generation of listeners.

Finally, the late 1990s and early 2000s saw the emergence of "smooth jazz", a more accessible and commercialized style of jazz that was popularized by artists such as Kenny G and George Benson. While this style was heavily criticized by many jazz purists, it did help to popularize the genre and bring it to a wider audience.

The Emergence of New Technologies

The turn of the century also saw the emergence of new technologies that had a significant impact on the jazz scene. One of the most notable of these was the emergence of digital recording technology, which allowed musicians to record their music with a much higher degree of accuracy and clarity than ever before. This technology allowed musicians to capture the nuances of their performances and to produce recordings of an unprecedented quality.

At the same time, the emergence of the internet allowed musicians to reach a much wider audience than ever before. With the help of websites such as mp3.com, musicians were able to distribute their music to a global audience and to promote their work to a much larger audience than ever before.

Notable Performers of the Era

The late 1990s and early 2000s saw the emergence of a number of notable performers who helped to shape the jazz scene of the era. One of the most notable of these was the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, who won nine Grammy awards between 1983 and 2001 and helped to popularize jazz among a wider audience.

At the same time, saxophonist Joshua Redman emerged as one of the leading lights of the jazz scene, winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 1991 and becoming one of the most acclaimed jazz musicians of his generation.

Other notable performers of the era included Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, Pat Metheny, and Terence Blanchard, among many others.

New Venues and Festivals

The late 1990s and early 2000s also saw the emergence of a number of new venues and festivals that helped to further shape the jazz scene. In the United States, the annual Jazz Aspen Snowmass festival became one of the leading jazz festivals in the country, while in Europe, the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival both emerged as important events on the international jazz calendar.

At the same time, a number of new jazz clubs and venues opened around the world, including the Blue Note in New York City and the Jazz Cafe in London. These venues helped to provide a platform for jazz musicians to perform and helped to further popularize the genre.

Conclusion

The late 1990s and early 2000s marked a new era in jazz music, with the genre undergoing a significant stylistic shift and the emergence of new technologies and performers helping to shape the scene. This period saw the emergence of new styles such as jazz-fusion and nu-jazz, while the emergence of venues and festivals helped to further popularize the genre and bring it to a wider audience. As a result, the jazz scene around 2000 was one of the most vibrant and exciting in history.