Jazz Noir: Listening to Music from Phantom Lady to The Last Seduction
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This is a welcome study of the various conjunctions of jazz and film noir. Butler both sees and hears well, and his cogent descriptions are convincing. He does not just round up the usual suspects but treats a number of films less often discussed by either film or music scholars and critics. He puts his topic in context, discussing racism in Hollywood and the narrowness of Hollywood executives' conceptualization of jazz and jazz musicians. Butler buttresses his work with ample citations of internal studio memos and scholarly references...this is a lovely and informative study, recommended for anyone interested either in film or jazz, from the general reader to the specialist.”–
Book Description
Jazz has been associated with crime and immorality since early forms of the music were heard in the brothels of New Orleans and the gangster-owned clubs of the 1920s. This association encouraged the use of jazz in film noir, a genre preoccupied with tales of anxiety and urban decay, which flourished in American cinema during the postwar period. Yet, although the extent and nature of this "collaboration" has often been alluded to, it has rarely been examined in detail. Making significant use of archival sources and documentation, Jazz Noir seeks to correct this oversight, placing the films discussed in their proper historical context and utilizing an interdisciplinary approach that gives equal weight to the films--including such notables as Phantom Lady, I Want to Live!, and Taxi Driver--and to the indelible music that accompanied them.
Jazz Noir: Listening to Music from Phantom Lady to The Last Seduction
Jazz Noir: Listening to Music from Phantom Lady to The Last Seduction,David Butler,Praeger Publishers,0275973018,Communication,Film & Video - General,Film noir,Genres & Styles - Jazz,History and criticism,Jazz in motion pictures,Music,Pop Arts / Pop Culture,Film theory & criticism,Jazz,Language Arts & Disciplines / Communication
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