Contrary to received wisdom amongst older jazz aficionados, the audience for jazz is not dying out. But it has changed a lot. Perhaps we ancestor worshippers who talk breathlessly about the likes of Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk (plus a cast of thousands) are being replaced by people who just like the music. Surprising and consistent data shows that jazz enthusiasts are very highly represented amongst classical music lovers. When tribute concerts are run, such as the recent series on Bill Evans by Terry Seabrook, the audience numbers are high but older – the same is true when the older giants of the music play, such as Dave Brubeck their concerts are often sell-outs but the audience age profile is higher. Information on the market for jazz ranges in the UK from sparse to non-existent but there is some for those who look. There are a couple of older studies from very reliable data sources, and a couple of little studies, less reliable, one of them by us and previously unpublished Workshops: the players have their sayIn one small study, those who say they are “Keen” or “Very Keen” on jazz were asked if they could play an instrument. 89% said they could (most learnt their instrument at school) 26% of those who can play say they still pick it up now-from time to time. The hard core of jazz followers is active musically in some way. 80% of the players, however, have never attended a workshop. This is a sample of what the workshop participants said, Advantages of attending a workshop Chance to learn 52% Chance to play 11% Both equally 37%
