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The Future of Jazz Standards: Will Contemporary Jazz Leave a Lasting Legacy?

By Anastasia Bogomolets
September 15, 2024
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Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time.
—Ornette Coleman

Some of what we now call jazz standards originated on Broadway, while others were initially composed as jazz masterpieces by the genius composers of the past. These jazz standards form the backbone of the "jazz tradition." Aspiring jazz musicians typically learn a couple of hundred of these standards to build their repertoire and launch their careers.

As the jazz movement continues to grow globally and incorporating more cultures, jazz itself becomes increasingly diverse, blending a variety of folk influences and embracing all sorts of fusions.

However, it has been a while since the last jazz standard was created. Are there any potential jazz standards in contemporary jazz that will become "must-plays" for musicians 50 to 100 years from now, or has jazz become an art form rooted in the here and now?

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