"New York, the ‘Big Apple,’ the jazz mecca” was printed in a New York City guide book. This was printed in Hart’s Guide to New York City (1964) by Harold H. Hart:

“More recently, Paris, London, and Stockholm have proved that jazz is no longer the sole property of the U.S. But all over the world, the ear of the aficionado turns always to New York, the ‘Big Apple,’ the jazz mecca—to catch the bright new sound, the old familiar sound, the always exciting sound.”


Google Books
Hart’s Guide to New York City
By Harold H. Hart
London, UK: Muller
1964
Pg. 714:
More recently, Paris, London, and Stockholm have proved that jazz is no longer the sole property of the U.S. But all over the world, the ear of the aficionado turns always to New York, the “Big Apple,” the jazz mecca—to catch the bright new sound, the old familiar sound, the always exciting sound.