Zoilus’ Carl Wilson donates his two cents to Destination: Out’s ’90’s jazz poll [part three here.] I think that what Carl’s on to is that it’s hard to argue for any genre after it’s passed the idiomatic baton to the Next Big Thing. But, as the commenter rightly notes, lists are great too, especially when well-respected critics contribute them.
Then again, having lived with a working jazz violinist for a year, my ears were opened to a number of things, for better or worse, happening right now. Like theater, jazz is still being played and adored by throngs, just not as publicly as in the past.
[Damn it if Ornette Coleman’s Tone Dialing isn’t available on certain music service that I get to use for free.]