Jazz is Alive in South Florida
by Bobby Ramirez 1-26-2010

Many will agree that Jazz is still alive in South Florida. Certainly there are many Jazz related event happenings throughout the year. But, the reality is that today there may be less opportunities for musicians to perform Jazz in South Florida than 10 years ago. Why is there less interest in live Jazz in this present day from the public at-large than in prior years?

Local organizations such as South Florida Jazz, Sunshine Jazz, JAMS, and Gold Coast Jazz Society have been in the front lines of helping to promote Jazz in the area. And with the decreased interest in Jazz, they have also become South Florida's last line of defense in the ever-increasing lack of interest for live Jazz.

In the meantime, the population of Jazz musicians based in South Florida continues to increase. But for many Jazz musicians young and old, performance opportunities have become few and far in-between. Long gone are the days when there was a plentiful reservoir of fans coming out support local Jazz.

No doubt that the audience that once supported live Jazz has evolved. And without this local audience, there is little chance that local venues would financially survive presenting Jazz. How can "Jazz" adapt to these changing times? What are some positive solutions that would help cultivate a more vibrant Jazz scene in South Florida for musicians as well as music fans?

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