The popularity of jazz has been in flux for decades. Though it's a unique American art form, the challenge of attracting younger generations of fans continues.

There was good news for Valley jazz aficionados when the national Jazz Forward Coalition recently selected Phoenix as one of its partner's in the jazz hub initiative.

KJZZ's The Show spoke with Joel Robin Goldenthal, executive director of The Nash, the Phoenix jazz venue.

"Jazz is an alive in-person, intimate art form," Goldenthal said. "I like to be argumentative and say, 'once it's on a CD, it's not jazz anymore."

Goldenthal said the fundamental key is exposing people to the music.

"In a perfect world, jazz would pop up in the middle of a football game and every place," Goldenthal said.

That issue of exposure to jazz is also on the mind of Wayne Winborne. He’s executive director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University in Newark.