Is Jazz Dead?: (Or Has It Moved to a New Address)
Editorial Reviews
Review
"Stuart Nicholson may be the most perceptive critic writing about jazz today. He listens widely...hunting down the most exciting development in improvisational music from Oslo to Patagonia...and hears deeply. While others are caught up in paradigms from the music's past, he is charting an inspiring roadmap for its future."
-Ted Gioia, author of The History of Jazz
"Stuart Nicholson has written a powerful counterblast against those who want to place jazz in a mausoleum. Anyone who cares about the future of jazz as a vital and innovative art form should read this book."
-Sholto Byrnes, Arts Columnist and Interviewer, The Independent, UK
"That US jazz no longer leads the world seems irrefutable. Stuart Nicholson provides an admirably clear-sighted and culturally-sophisticated examination of recent developments in the US and Europe, while also pointing to a wealth of excellent music for the reader to go in search of. If jazz really is dead, the corpse is looking pretty good."
-Phil Johnson, Jazz Critic, The Independent On Sunday, UK
"Deeply researched, provocative, well written, with a touch of British sense of humor, this book will open an infinite debate about jazz in the new century. A must for every jazz lover."
-Vincenzo Martorella, Editor, Jazzit
"Is Jazz Dead? is terrifying, enlightening and thought provoking in equal measures. You might not agree with Nicholson's analysis but if you're in the business of jazz or just plain love the music you can not afford to ignore this book."
-Kerstan Mackness, Jazz Editor, Time Out London
Book Description
Is Jazz Dead? examines the state of jazz in America at the turn of the 21st century. In a recent 10-part documentary on Public Television, Ken Burns spent 8 out of 10 programs on jazz before World War II; only the last 2 shows covered five decades of creative work. Musicians themselves are returning to New Orleans, Swing, and Bebop styles, while the work of the '60s avant-garde and even '70s and '80s jazz-rock is roundly ignored. Meanwhile, global jazz musicians are creating new and exciting music that is just starting to be heard in the United States, offering a viable alternative to the rampant conservatism here. Stuart Nicholson's thought-provoking book offers an analysis of the American scene, how it came to be so stagnant, and what it can do to create a new level of creativity. This book is bound to be controversial among jazz purists and musicians; it will undoubtedly generate discussion about how jazz should grow now that it has become a recognized part of American musical history. Is Jazz Dead? dares to ask the question on all jazz fan's minds: Can jazz survivor as a living medium? And, if so, how?
Is Jazz Dead?: (Or Has It Moved to a New Address)
Is Jazz Dead?: (Or Has It Moved to a New Address),Stuart Nicholson,Routledge,0415975832,General,Genres & Styles - Jazz,History & Criticism - General,Music,Jazz,USA
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