Being a jazz enthusiast isn’t easy. Most of the people that I listen to are deceased, and forgotten by those outside of the “jazz world”. It’s actually a disintagrating genre that is at the end of its life. At least, that’s what I’ve been told by a countless number for people. However, during high school, I started branching out and trying to find new artists (most of my jazz repertoire up to that point consisted of Glenn Miller and Charlie Parker). My search has taken me through the timeline of jazz saxophonists, staring with Lester Young and ending with Michael Brecker. After a short time, though, it became clear to me that there are plenty of jazz stars that are still alive and performing: Brad Mehldau, Roy Hargrove, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Kenny Barron, Herbie Hancock, John Patitucci, Jack Dejohnette, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman, Wynton Marsalis, etc. Now, while jazz may not be as popular as it was in the Big Band era, it is certainly not dead. Out of curiosity, I decided to look up “jazz” on the New York Times. When I found the jazz listings for October, I was extremely angry: how could I have not realized that I’m only a subway ride (or two) away from so many superb performances! Here is the link for the jazz listings in NYC. Having these opportunities is amazing, and something I’m not used to. I need to explore the city more.

Brad Mehldau