How New York City Became the Epicenter of Jazz

A nighttime look at 52nd Street, former hotbed of jazz, circa 1948.
"Jazz has gone global. Just like your job, your mortgage and the cost of gas at the pump, the music now responds to global forces. As a jazz critic, I now need to pay attention to the talent coming out of New Zealand, Indonesia, Lebanon, Chile, and other places previously outside my purview. Almost every major city on the planet now has homegrown talent worthy of a worldwide audience. Yet one thing hasn’t changed on the jazz scene: New York still sits on top of the heap. Great jazz artists often don’t come from Manhattan, but they struggle to build a reputation and gain career traction if they don’t come to Manhattan. ..."
Observer (Video)

American jazz band leader and composer, Duke Ellington.