I think the automobile put the saxophonist underemployed. As people moved away from the city core in the suburbs live music venues suffered. The radio, recorded audio,and TV cemented it, but people would always frequent live music if the venues existed. And they do - where there are enough fans to support them. This is why we have a lot of live music places in NYC, etc, even with Spotify and instant gratification.
But I also don’t think the life of the musician is all that dire, at least compared to the portrait artist and tunnel digger. There are plenty of jazz clubs in any major city, and live music that pays enough to at least supplement a day job is a thing. Even at the height of live music your average musician would have needed a day job to get by.
But I also don’t think the life of the musician is all that dire, at least compared to the portrait artist and tunnel digger. There are plenty of jazz clubs in any major city, and live music that pays enough to at least supplement a day job is a thing. Even at the height of live music your average musician would have needed a day job to get by.