1950s Jazz started out as background for drinkers in bars as small combos were cheap to hire compared to the big bands that proceeded them. There was no dancing, just drinking and chatter, if you had someone to talk with/to.
Listening to live recordings of that time you can hear that it's anything but a quiet concert-like atmosphere. How much was being listened to?
If musicians (of any genre) can get gigs that's a plus for this time in music's history. Attributing this to it being jazz over other genres may be stretching reality.