Is Gen Z is Ditching TikTok for Jazz?
The short answer isn't yes.
When thinking of animated comedy shows, its soundtrack might not be the first thing you think about. It sneaks about in the background helping jokes land, setting the tone, and stirs the emotions at just the right moments. Imagine Ren and Stimpy without those wacky retro tunes, or The Simpsons without Danny Elfman’s iconic theme or The Flintstones without “Yabadabado!” Not to mention, how many animated shows had excellent Jazz soundtracks.
So, when your lead character is a sax-wielding jazz rebel, the soundtrack has to shine. But how do you make that happen?
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Earlier in the year I was standing in line outside a buzzing bar at the Bricklane Jazz Festival when I struck up a conversation with a young man from Mexico. He flew all the way to London with a wishlist of contemporary jazz musicians he was eager to see.
UK Jazz is porous, shape-shifting, and wide open. At any moment, anything can happen, with every genre tossed into the mix. One musician was even playing what looked like a love-child of saxophone and a computer keyboard! The UK jazz scene is a hotbed of collaboration and fusion, with musicians frequently popping up in each other’s bands.
And this is precisely why we’ve teamed up with the brilliant people at Influential Music, who are at the heart of this new jazz scene. They’ve helped us assemble a musical team that captures some of what’s happening. Let me introduce a few stars from their roster we are working with on the soundtrack:
Heidi Vogel: A powerhouse vocalist, gracing stages from Royal Albert Hall to Jimmy Kimmel. Evening Standard describes her “mighty, vibrato-rich note with a life of its own.”
Robert Mitchell: A jazz maestro and global icon, his keyboard skills are so renowned that he even got into
’s history of Jazz. He’s a living legend and one of Britain’s finest, according to The Wire.LayFullstop: A Manchester-based hip-hop and soul artist who mixes nostalgic soul with UK hip-hop, delivering smooth, 90s-tinged R&B with a jazzy twist. NME calls her a “jazzy delight.”
Dominic J Marshall: Genre-bending virtuoso, blending jazz, hip-hop, classical, and more. Jamie Cullum says “he combines a great heritage with something refreshingly new.”
As if that isn't enough world-class talent, we thought we create an album, as if starting an animated sitcom on a shoe-string budget isn't enough! So we want to show a case of the underground talent.
So we created a purple limited edition vinyl. It will have the sounds from Jazz Cow, the soundtrack, but also music inspired by the show. Featuring other trailblazing artists from Influential Music, including:
- Mo Kolours - Wonky Logic - Josef Akin - Asheber - Luna Ze - Neil C. Young - Taylor Del Mundo - Ben Dwyer - MEI - Ritzi Shō.
This album takes you on a genre-bending adventure, honouring the rich roots of jazz while daring to push boundaries. Whether you’re a die-hard jazz fan or just dipping your toes in, this collection is an absolute must-hear for anyone curious about the ever-evolving world of contemporary UK jazz!
But you won’t get your hands on a copy unless we reach our goal.
Now about my clickbait title, sorry I couldn’t help myself. I’m not convinced jazz is replacing TikTok just yet. In fact, Dominic J Marshall was disappointed by how many young people aren’t even listening to music properly. “Phone speakers just don’t cut it for a true experience”. He connects the absence of music to one of the key reasons behind the mental health crisis, and I couldn't agree more.
But as LayFullstop points out, we need to have that moment of waking up when we realise we don’t have to be running after the whims of the algorithm.
They might not be leaving TikTok behind, but as the buzz around jazz grows, more and more people are stepping out to embrace real life. This can only fill us with hope! Disconnecting from their phones, listening to music, and truly living—the perfect gateway drug to joining Jazz Cow’s resistance.
So why wait? Jump on board with Jazz Cow’s resistance while there's still time! The Kickstarter ends soon.