The Rise of a Jazz Art World
Cambridge University Press, 5/30/2002
EAN 9780521801911, ISBN10: 0521801915
Hardcover, 304 pages, 23.6 x 15.5 x 2.3 cm
Language: English
Originally published in English
This 2002 book presents a unique sociological vision of the evolution of jazz in the twentieth century. Analysing organizational structures and competing discourses in American music, Paul Lopes shows how musicians and others transformed the meaning and practice of jazz. Set against the distinct worlds of high art and popular art in America, the rise of a jazz art world is shown to be a unique movement - a socially diverse community struggling in various ways against cultural orthodoxy. Cultural politics in America is shown to be a dynamic, open, and often contradictory process of constant re-interpretation. This work is a compelling social history of American culture that incorporates various voices in jazz, including musicians, critics, collectors, producers and enthusiasts. Accessibly written and interdisciplinary in approach, it will be of great interest to scholars and students of sociology, cultural studies, social history, American studies, African-American studies, and jazz studies.
Introduction
the quest for cultural legitimacy
1. Before the jazz age
professional musicians and good music
2. The jazz age
professional musicians and the cultivated vernacular
3. The swing craze
professional musicians, swing music and the art of improvisation
4. The rise of a jazz art world
jazz enthusiasts, professional musicians and the modernist revolt
5. The new jazz age
the jazz art world and the modern jazz renaissance
Conclusion
the jazz art world and American culture.
"Lopes has written a richly informative and highly readable book that is a welcome addition to the growing number of academic studies that engage with musical styles as the lifeblood of 'scenes' -- living cultures producing a verve and commitment that remain hard to fathom for those on the 'outside.'" American Journal of Sociology