Today,
jazz is alive and well. Pop groups such as Squirrel Nut Zippers have helped
jazz reenter the main pop scene. There are many artists who continue the tradition
left to them by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Lester Young,
and John Coltrane. As jazz musicians of the 90's have looked back to the heroes
of the past, particularily from the bop
era, a new generation of jazz stars has emerged. Many of these artists
aren't interested in creating a new genre of jazz, but rather they want to
support a revival of an earlier jazz era. The main difference between the
current jazz stars and those of yesteryear are that today's jazz stars are
mainly the trained at formal music schools such as Berkelee. Some of today's
stars include Joshua Redman, Terrance Blanchard, and Joe Lovano. One of the
most influential jazz musicians today, and a leader in the jazz world through
his work at the Lincoln center, is Wynton
Marsalis.