Freedom Music: Wales, Emancipation and Jazz 1850-1950 - Softcover

Jen Wilson

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1786834073 ISBN 13: 9781786834072

Publisher: University of Wales Press, 2019

Synopsis

This book reclaims for Wales the history and culture of a music that eventually emerged as jazz in the 1920s, its tendrils and roots extending back to slave songs and abolition campaign songs, and Swansea's long-forgotten connection with Cincinnati, Ohio. The main themes of the book are to illustrate and emphasise the strong links between emerging African American music in the USA and the development of jazz in mainstream popular culture in Wales; the emancipation and contribution of Welsh women to the music and its social-cultural heritage; and an historical appraisal as the music journeyed towards the Second World War and into living memory. The jazz story is set amid the politics, socio-cultural and feminist history of the time from whence the music emerged - which begs the question `When Was Jazz?' (to echo Gwyn A. Williams in 1985, who asked `When Was Wales?'). If jazz is described as `the music of protest and rebellion', then there was certainly plenty going on during the jazz age in Wales.

About this title

About the Author

Jen Wilson is a jazz pianist and founder of Jazz Heritage Wales, based at UWTSD Swansea.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Wales Press
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1786834073
• ISBN 13: 9781786834072
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 336