People have been forced to adapt to many new things. They want to hold on to some part of their identity. In the past, traditional music has been at least one thing they thought they could count on. The future of the music is growing out more than up. It may or may not be getting better, but it is getting everywhere.
Growth is horizontal more than vertical.
There appear to be no more Coltranes on the horizon - no giants with the required combination of humility, strength and intelligence to lead a movement are emerging. On the other hand you can now go to just about any city in the developed world and hear a world-class rhythm section. Carlos Nunez is from Galicia, a region in the northwest corner of Spain. Galicia has an ancient Celtic culture like Scotland, Ireland and Brittany. Mr. Nunez plays bagpipes that are cousins to the pipes in those countries.