Why Jazz Is Back in the Zeitgeist — And Why It’s No Coincidence

A perfect example of a building with a legacy is Smalls, a cramped, underground, basement-like club in New York City. Despite its age, Smalls’s soul permeates the room, producing a tangible feeling that washes over you the moment you walk through the door. The brownstone is decorated with autographed photos from the “Queen of Jazz,” Ella Fitzgerald, and a lone trumpet once played by the “Picasso of Jazz,” Miles Davis. Smalls has carried the jazz heavyweights of the 19th and 20th centuries on its shoulders. Although some would call jazz a dead art form, my boyfriend and I sat among a crowd of 20-somethings in the club, illustrating jazz’s lasting prominence that spans generations. The soul of clubs like Smalls is part of the essence of the genre, a “je ne sais quoi” that jazz carries within its vast legacy. However, the true soul of the genre lies in its legendary and unique vocal style. The vocals of icons like Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Billie Holiday have a hypnotic, entrancing power more alluring than any drug. 

Jazz has long been an eminent voice of change and progress, characterized by its multifaceted, nontraditional evolution. The genre emerged from the blending of Western African polyrhythms and call-response patterns brought to Central Europe and North America. Jazz was established and popularized by Black communities in New Orleans, and with the rise of new technological advancements like radio and records, the genre gained even more popularity and resonated with younger generations. 

The emotional depth and unique quality of the style resonated with marginalized groups in the era of social unrest during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The expressive freedom of jazz grew as the voices of stars like Simone, Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Nat King Cole expanded jazz’s musical expression. Vocal innovations like scat singing changed the game and opened new avenues for musical improvisation. Marginalized communities were often not included in or represented by mainstream, “traditional” music, and jazz, along with other new musical forms, became the soundtrack of their rebellion against exclusion, social injustice and oppression. This musical legacy of defiance and nonconformity has lasted decades.

Jazz singing, despite its historical significance and artistry, has experienced a decline in popularity over the years. The impressive vocal acrobatics that once defined the genre have been replaced by an often soulless, autotuned and simplistic style. Hyper-processed beat-making programs like Magix and GarageBand can create sounds that are more digestible and marketable, but lose the human touch. Because of the rising popularity of these styles, the future of “traditional” jazz seemed bleak — it was doomed to become a lost art relegated to exclusive European jazz clubs and musicologist circles, unlikely to regain its mainstream status. 

 In recent years, however, pop singers like RAYE and Laufey have incorporated jazz vocals into their music, proving that the genre’s mass appeal is evergreen. During times of geopolitical unrest, there is a heightened desire for authentic, emotionally complex music. Jazz vocals, with their emphasis on phrasing, emotion and improvisation, provide an experimental and raw contrast to the hyper-processed nature of pop music. RAYE’s improvisational jazz stylings add deeper emotion to themes of sexual assault, body dysmorphia and exploitative music industry practices. Her album “My 21st Century Blues” topped the charts and catapulted her to worldwide fame. The work incorporates old-school influences like Simone and B.B. King. Laufey, meanwhile, used short-form content as a launchpad to success. She appealed to Generation Z listeners, balancing  her TikTok presence with  her timeless appeal. Her confidence in front of the camera and musical prowess garnered a devoted fanbase. She mimics the styles of Etta James in her catchy love songs that blend dreamy bossa nova rhythms with pop sensibilities. Meanwhile, jazz vocalists like DAMOYEE and Kate Cortum are conquering TikTok with their slowed-down jazz standards and snippets. A new wave of retro-vintage aesthetics is also emerging  — think grainy film filters, baby doll dresses and jazz club vibes. 

Just as my boyfriend and I once felt the strong pulse of jazz flowing through the air in Smalls, I and many other young people now feel that heartbeat close to home. We can enjoy jazz nights at The Cave right down the street from UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus, where the underground hum is still strong: the clinking of glasses, the breath before the downbeat and an immediate calm in the crowd when the vocalist takes the mic. Jazz has never been confined to a single time or place;  it is a living, breathing art form with impacts that continue to be felt around the world.