As a jazz enthusiast it’s hard to meet (in the real world I mean, not online) many people who share the joys of jazz. Not very many co-workers, for instance, or my extended family listen to jazz. Kids surely aren’t aware of it.
Pre-WWII swing bands were a hot cultural phenomenon for about 15 years, capturing what today would be all the key demographics for teens & young adults. Then swing slowly faded away to just a niche genre today, its demise speeded in large part by the rise of baby-boomer rock & roll. Ironically rock descended from r&b, whose roots are in jazz.
I’m sure jazz will never die away completely in live clubs or recordings. But in 2011 jazz is no longer popular among the masses, judging by the proportion of radio station formats, cd sales, and publications pertaining to jazz. Jazz musicians and their fans will, sadly, always find themselves in a minority within pop music. Probably the same is true of classical music. Perhaps future generations will rediscover jazz and create a revival of “neo-classical jazz.”
My parents listened mostly to music on the radio (all AM back then). A typical format was a mix of sappy ballads and peppy swing tunes, mostly by popular artists of the time. Most of this music wouldn’t have been labeled “jazz” at the time, but might be today looking back.