A New History of Jazz (Bayou S.) - Hardcover

Shipton, Alyn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0826447546 ISBN 13: 9780826447548

Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd., 2001

Synopsis

Alyn Shipton examines material from the string bands and francophone vocal ensembles of the plantation to the highly developed and sophisticated world of turn-of-the century African American Theatre. He continues with the major trends in jazz during the last 30 years of the 20th century.

About this title

Review:

"If Ken Burns' recent PBS series on jazz left you wanting more, or if you found Mr. Burns' approach too centered on Louis Armstrong, then this massive but easily digestible new work may fill in a lot of the holes the TV special left behind. In fact, A Ne "In this unusually thoughtful and comprehensive history, Shipton, a BBC announcer and a critic for the Times, uncovers and explores a broader spectrum of jazz developments in addition to tackling commonly accepted stereotypes and myths. Things weren't as neat and tidy as previous jazz writers would have you believe. It's accepted as fact, for example, that jazz was born in New Orleans, moved north to Chicago, then east to the Big Apple. Shipton, however, illustrates that there was much more interplay among musicians, that word and note did not spread in any one direction. The author also shatters the creation myth of bebop: it was, he convincingly argues, the work of small bands playing night after night?not the result of after-hour jams, which were open to more or less anyone. Shipton also points out how strongly jazz was grasped by musicians in Europe, the Far East, and Latin America, and the book is worth purchasing for these sections alone (Gary Giddins's Visions of Jazz failed to investigate this phenomenon). The inclusion of post-late 1950s jazz genres, including free improvisation, are also treated with the respect that they deserve. Highly recommended." Library Journal, September 15, 2001 "A New History of Jazz is particularly sharp in describing jazz's earliest roots Shipton's done his homework, and he knows how to tell a story. Don't be put off by the fact that this 976-pager weighs more than Cannonball Adderley." Blender Magazine "The author writ[es] extensively and intelligently about jazz from its origins in the nineteenth century to its fragmentation at the end of the twentieth...a penetrating history of the birth, development, and triumph of this most American of art forms." "Engrossing... Shipton is excellent on the social context of the music... A New History of Jazz is a massive scholarly achievement and a major addition to the jazz literature." Jazz Review "A more useful addition than the second edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Shipton has delved deeply into untapped source material .He also drops the kind of biographical detail that should be in Grove, but isn't." Independent on Sunday "Alyn Shipton's dependable account gives credit to both African American and other musicians who have enjoyed playing jazz well through the decades...Down Beat magazine has said that this book 'remains the standard-bearer for jazz histories' and is a valuable read for any fan...In summary, I recommend A New History of Jazz (2nd ed.) as appropriate for school libraries, as well as interested readers." - Music Educators Journal--Sanford Lakoff "In this monumental study, Shipton covers what he believes to be the most significant musical form to emerge during the 20th century. The book delves deeply into all aspects of the music, from boogie-woogie, big bands and bebop to the experiments of the postmodern era. The author's emphasis on jazz as an international phenomenon, even though it originated in the U.S., sets the book apart from other histories, as does his examination of the politicization of this music in the 1960s through organizations such as the Chicago-based Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and the Black Artists' Group in St. Louis....His observations on style are succinct and evocative...This comprehensive book, with its wealth of information presented in a nontechnical style accessible to the general reader, is a major contribution to the literature of jazz." Publishers Weekly "As jazz underwent a renaissance of sorts in the 1990s, jazz criticism flooded the publishing market. But few of those books were as nuanced or readable as British critic Shipton's, which spans the entire history of jazz....Shipton's detailed treatment seeks to rebut some of the more popular myths about the origins of jazz, many of which have been accepted as fact, especially following the release of Ken Burns' Jazz documentary. The author makes a convincing case for several new theories about the origins and spread of jazz....Those who want the true history of jazz should definitely jump into this impressive work." Booklist "This book will be the best existing history of jazz .A major contribution to musicology and cultural studies." Robert Walser, Professor and Chair of the Musicology Department at UCLA and Editor of American Music

From the Back Cover:

A New History of Jazz by Alyn Shipton offers a radical new look at jazz history, testing many of the myths and assumptions that have been perpetuated in all other accounts of the music. Shipton looks afresh at every aspect of jazz, from its origins to its current dilemmas in the postmodern era. On the way he convincingly re-examines many key elements, proposing a vitally important role in jazz development for string ensembles, suggesting that it did not simply begin as a New Orleans-based phenomenon, and examining the pivotal role of the black theatre and of territory bands in spreading the message far and wide. No other general history looks in such detail at jazz outside the United States, from pioneers in the UK and France to Russia and South America. This line of enquiry is carried forward into the modern age, and today's conjunction of jazz and world music is seen as a continuation of developments begun in 1918. Shipton assesses and places the careers of many significant jazz innovators, but he also examines the influential work of many lesser-known figures, from Kansas City leader Jesse Stone through bassist John Kirby, and from West Coast boppers Gerald Wilson and Roy Porter to pianists Billy Kyle and Clyde Hart.

About this edition

• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd.
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0826447546
• ISBN 13: 9780826447548
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 975