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Nate Chinen's got a nicely written story on the direction that jazz is taking these days:

Over the last decade or so there has been a proliferation of international artists dealing seriously with jazz without tuning out their native cultures...Lionel Loueke, a guitarist from the West African country of Benin, was a spellbinding presence at Joe’s Pub a couple of months ago as he started into the title track of "Karibu," his exceptional major-label debut. Consider Mr. Loueke's band mates, who performed with him: the bassist Massimo Biolcati grew up in Sweden and Italy, and the drummer Ferenc Nemeth is from Hungary. A short list of others would include the Cuban drummers Dafnis Prieto and Francisco Mela, the Puerto Rican saxophonists David Sánchez and Miguel Zenón, and the Israeli clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen. What's striking about these musicians is the elasticity of their approaches. They have shown that jazz can assume a range of dialects without losing its essence.

One of the first to lead the way back in the late '80's was Danilo Perez:

"There's a line of thought that is growing," said Danilo Perez, a Panamanian pianist and composer whose 2000 album, "Motherland," can rightly be considered a touchstone for the current generation of jazz hybridists. "People are coming to jazz with open ears and a perspective from their own place."

And this statement is spot on:

Those variegated perspectives have already had an impact on the sound of jazz. To be a capable young jazz musician today is to be comfortable with virtually any groove, however complex or asymmetrical, and conversant in folk and pop dialects from several continents. Remarkably, for a genre so frequently described as America's indigenous art form, jazz is now unmistakably a global proposition, in terms of aesthetics as well as audience.

Could it be that American jazz is growing into a truly "world" music, where all these influences combine and yet still hold onto its essence as a "folk music," where the tradition is passed on by ear and mouth? Certainly Lionel Loueke can see the connections between his native country's music and America's:

After hearing a George Benson CD, he developed a similar curiosity about jazz. It didn't take him long to draw a parallel between jazz soloing and the improvised vocalization of West African griots. He also heard in jazz an elusive groove that animates African music: "There are things you can't write on the paper, how it feels."

Jazz music is definitely like that, as you can't really write down the "swing" feel. It's an interesting nexus that Herbie Hancock comments about:

"His scope is so broad," Hancock said of Mr. Loueke. "He draws on his African heritage. He's comfortable in the area of electronics, with a more acoustic style of playing, with a Spanish style, a Brazilian style. But he brings new things to the table."

He added: “If what Lionel is showing is a reflection of a growing trend of musicians to be open and influenced by a broader palette of cultures, it’s a very healthy one, and one that will continue to keep jazz alive into the future."

The essence and spirit of America's only true art form is as strong as ever.

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